Life or Death
by Kimberleg
Summary: Legolas returns home to Mirkwood after the War of the Ring finding only devastation and death, yet he is next in line to the throne. Yet what sort of leader does Mirkwood need, and is it better to hold to the past? There will be heartache and difficult choices for the Prince.
1. Chapter 1

**Life or Death**

Day (44) of the Fourth Age:

This is the diary of the current Prince of Mirkwood, Legolas Greenleaf, keeping an account of events and occurrences as one of the Nine Walkers.

It has been many months since I was last able to make a note of my thoughts. My last free moment was during a period of time in the Golden Hall of Meduseld in Edoras in the country of Rohan after the terrible siege of Helm's Deep, where we had a few days to spare before riding off to battle once more. Much has come to pass since then, and now that peace has been restored, I finally have more time to write.

I shall not here give an account of all that has happened to bring about the destruction of the One Ring, the fall of the Dark Lord Sauron and the coming of a new age of peace, for that will be the task of many a bard and historian to do for me (though perhaps I may later write a version of my own), but all I will say is that now the seemingly impenetrable darkness has been dispelled, my heart is overflowing with joy as I look around and see smiling bright faces and trees which now grow and live.

Recently the eight remaining members of the Fellowship met together for a final time, said our farewells and went our separate ways. Although it saddens me greatly that we may never meet again, my heart is glad indeed that Aragorn has finally taken his place on the throne of Gondor, and who knows indeed what the future may hold for us…

Day 231 of the Fourth Age:

It has been six months since the wedding of King Aragorn and Queen Arwen and our departure from Minas Tirith. In that time, I have spent time with Gimli the Dwarf, who has grown very dear to me in my heart as a friend, travelling across lands of our personal preferences, as we promised now that we live in an age of peace.

We too soon made our farewells and settled in our own lands – I left him in the caverns of Helm's Deep and unless he has moved since I last saw him, I believe he is dwelling there happily with some of his other kin. I have dwelt for the last few months in Ithilien, not far from Aragorn's stronghold, a beautiful corner of this mighty country of stone where Nature has preserved its beauty and life, untouched and uncorrupted. There are few of my own kindred left now, but this place has become a haven for those wanderers who still remain since the emptying of Rivendell, and it truly has become a perfect place of calm and tranquility.

However, since I heard that terrible yet longing cry of the gulls, I have felt painful pangs in my heart of its yearning for the Sea, and I fear that my time on this Middle Earth will soon come to an end. But before I depart forever, I have decided to visit my homeland one last time. I have been riding on horseback for the last couple of weeks and have now reached the borders of the immense forest which was for countless mortal years my home. If I ride throughout the night and ride at a good speed, I should arrive at my father's palace later tomorrow. I do not know what will await me there, but the southern area seems deserted and the great darkness seems to have been lifted – these signs fill me with hope.

What a joy it will be to see my father again, to tell him of all the things I've done and seen; to rejoice with my people as the news of Sauron's destruction is proclaimed throughout the land from one who saw it; and of course, my beautiful Anié, who has been in my heart and mind throughout this quest. What a joy it will be to see them all again.

Day 232 of the Fourth Age: No Entry.

Legolas could not write an entry, for words failed him at what he saw. After expecting to return home to a forest renewed with lifend glowing with lush green light, nothing met his stunned and horrified gaze but devastation. As he dismounted his horse and walked aghast through the forest in the direction of his father's underground palace, he saw that the earth floor was burnt and charred, slash marks everywhere, blood-stained barks, he couldn't find any trees that had been removed or chopped down but there was little sunlight and no green, only shadow.

The three enormous trees that stood as security posts stood solemn and silent, and Legolas saw not a soul, not in the forest nor as he entered the Palace, only the occasional eyes of hiding figures, too fearful to emerge from the shadows.

He called out in a loud clear voice, hoping that one of his people may respond; he put on his most formal voice and announced that their Prince had returned; he called for his father, but the only voice that echoed his cry was his own.

Standing in the Great Hall of his father's once vibrant and glorious palace and with a great sadness hanging in his heart, Legolas was completely alone, surrounded by silence. Or so he thought. A voice filled with wonder suddenly broke his thoughts:

"Legolas? Can it truly be you?"

Legolas turned and saw a man, plainly yet relatively well-dressed, emerge from one of the corridors that led to the Great Hall in which the two men both stood. The man's mouth was slightly agape as he gazed at the Prince almost in disbelief. Legolas recognized the man instantly and smiles broke out on both of their faces.

The man was called Beridhren - he was the chief healer of the Mirkwood Palace and had become good friends with Legolas and Anié over the years. The two men approached each other and shook hands warmly. Beridhren seemed delighted to see the Prince again, and it seemed to Legolas that a new look of hope was born in the doctor's eyes.

"I can hardly believe it is you!" Beridhren exclaimed.

"I feared you dead!"

"Nay" replied Legolas, "I have returned. But not to the sight I wished to see – where is everyone?"

Beridhren's face dropped a little and showed an expression of one who did not know where to start: "Oh Legolas, my Prince…much has happened since you departed to Rivendell".


	2. Chapter 2

As Legolas walked through the corridors that he knew so well, he saw not a soul and the only sound to be heard was their own faint footfall. Beridhren led Legolas to his own chambers and sat him down with a glass of Mirkwood wine. The corridors were quiet, the healing house was quiet, the room was quiet – the entire country had fallen into silence. It was both saddening and aggravating for the Prince – he needed answers.

"Well" began Beridhren, "it's difficult to know where to start – where have you been?"

Legolas too did not know where to begin: "It would take many a day to tell you of all my adventures, Beridhren my friend…"

As Legolas inhaled to speak again, Beridhren interjected: "We have time". There was no smile or sign of jest on his face.

Legolas remarked upon this in his mind, but continued: "As you know, I was sent by my father to answer the summons of Lord Elrond and to attend his council, from which nine companions of all different races, including myself, set out to destroy the One Ring of old, which had been found and brought through many perils to the haven of Rivendell. I shall not here tell you all the details of that mission, for I only know half of it, but I return with the glad and joyful news that the One Ring has truly been destroyed in the fires of Orodruin, Sauron has finally been vanquished and we dwell now in an age of peace, for his darkness and malice have been destroyed forever!"

"Well, that is quite some news" said Beridhren after a moment of thought, his eyes twinkling.

"After certain events and whispered rumours, some of us dared to dream that this may have come to pass, but now that you have come back and said so for certain, now that we have heard it from the mouth of one who knows that it is true, my heart is glad indeed".

"Yet you do not seem so" replied Legolas, "like some dark cloud still hangs over you".

Beridhren sighed – Legolas had never seen him so dark before:

"A dark cloud hangs over us all still, my Prince".

Legolas leant forward in an enquiring manner, yet with an expression of concern on his face: "Speak to me as a friend rather than your Prince – tell me what has happened here. I had hoped to come home to a land of renewed tranquility, life and peace, and yet all I see is shadows and darkness".

"So did we all" replied Beridhren gloomily.

"Mirkwood was already in increasing danger when you left, and the darkness and threats from the South multiplied since. Every week saw another assault against our scouts, every month saw the border of uninhabitable forest drawing nearer and nearer to the Palace. At first it was only fear, but as time progressed on, the enemy became more fierce, more violent. We never let down our defences and there was a burning passion in the heart of every Elf here to rid our once beautiful home of this evil, but it soon became clear that no amount of fighting and bloodshed was going to stop their long, consistent onslaught. Lives were increasingly put on the line, people lost hope. Skirmishes became regular, especially as the Shadow grew dangerously close to our borders, and sometimes I would have new patients daily, fighting for their lives after another severe attack.

Eventually, your Father would stand for it no more and knew that unprecedented action would have to be taken. As hope dwindled to nothingness and escape seemed impossible, the King gathered all the people together and, surrounded by the Council and those prepared to fight, he called for one last push, one final battle for everyone to stand their ground and drive back the enemy once and for all. He did not promise that Mirkwood would be victorious, but when he announced that he himself would lead the Mirkwood army and fight alongside them, he inspired a hope and belief in the people that had long since been dimmed".

In response to Legolas' eyes widening in surprise at this news, Beridhren described Thranduil with an audible sense of awe and admiration:

"Legolas, he looked stunning – dressed entirely in majestic armour, combining speed and precision with phenomenal strength and ferocity, although I was ordered by him personally not to fight (as I would be needed here afterwards), it was a glorious sight to see him don his armour again. Those who fought alongside him claimed it was the greatest honour of their lives, to fight for their country alongside their loyal King".

"How many fought?" asked Legolas, realising that most of his friends and those he knew must have gone out with his father.

"Was Anié with them?"

"Yes, she went too" Beridhren replied, his voice significantly lower than before, Legolas noticed.

"All the women save Anié stayed here, and all those able to fight went out to battle. It was the largest number we have ever sent out, it was clearly significant".

Legolas thought of his father, his belovéd and all his friends who would have gone out to fight. Legolas felt pangs of guilt that he had not been there to stand beside them in their hour of need, but he also knew that he had played his part, however small, elsewhere to bring about Sauron's downfall.

Beridhren continued with his tale, his face growing gradually sadder:

"The night before they left was the longest night this country had ever seen. The fighting continued relentlessly for two whole days, with no mercy and rare moments of peace. It was ferocious out there, like nothing ever previously witnessed under the boughs of these trees."

"As the second day grew closer to the third, although the fighters of Mirkwood refused to yield, morale was thin and the casualties were rising. Suddenly, (I did not see it myself, but) a bright light grew from the Southern horizon and soon spread through the whole forest. Then there was an almighty crack and the remaining enemy shrieked in fear as word reached them that the stronghold of Dol Gulder had been cloven in two by the power of the White Lady of LothLorien with the Lord Celeborn at her side."

"Despite the destruction of their stronghold, the enemy was still on our territory and remained a threat until vanquished. They stood their ground as we stood ours and it was not until the dawn of the fourth day when the fighting finally subsided. The forest was plunged into silence and…"

He sighed: "…the death toll, on both sides, was the highest we have ever seen. Some bodies were retrieved by the families, some were buried (Legolas recalled seeing a large mound that he did not recognise as he approached the palace) and others – disappeared into the forest".

There was a moment of silence as the pair of them reflected on the bravery and the loss of the people of this once great country.

"Where are our people now?" enquired Legolas. "Those that survived?"

"Many have left these shores, having no reason to remain" replied Beridhren sadly.

"However, not all have departed – many are still here, but few of them come out and wander around. Walking through the forest only brings back painful memories of a time that once was and of those they have lost to the dark powers that swamped this land, so most stay where they are comfortable and safe, nursing themselves and their loved ones in their grief".

"But your safe return should bring them hope" the doctor stated on a lighter note.

"I am sure they will be delighted to see you. As I said when you came in, we feared you dead".

Legolas smiled and nodded – it would be good to speak to his people and after hearing the suffering they had endured, he felt determined and duty-bound to help them and his country in any way he could.

"Where is my Father?" asked Legolas. "And Anié? Are they out visiting the people?"

Beridhren's face fell and became blank. He had feared this question.

Beridhren did not answer for a moment, choosing his words very carefully in his mind. Concerned that he had not responded more immediately, Legolas stared at him, desperate for an answer, his face perfectly carved into one of deep concern for those he loved the most.

"Your Father was exceptional, an inspirational leader, and all those who fought with him – like Anié, our friends, and those who stood to show their loyalty and defend their country – showed bravery of the highest level".

He hung his head a little and muttered inaudibly to himself in the Elven tongue, 'Oh woe that it is left to me…'

Legolas remained strong but had difficulty hiding his fear: "Where are they? Tell me"

Beridhren's eyes fell shut briefly and he sighed to himself before eventually looking up and making direct eye contact with Legolas – he had to tell him the truth.

Legolas could hardly breathe – he felt as though a weight on his shoulders was crushing him and a great darkness was about to enter his life. His mind began to fear the worst, yet he couldn't bear to lose either.

A thick and dense silence filled the room, which seemed to last for an eternity.

"Anié survived" Beridhren finally said.

Legolas' heart rose at this news for his dear love, and at the same time crumbled as he realised he had lost his father.

"I do not know exactly what happened to your Father, but he fought long and he fought bravely. He was brought to me in the evening of the second or third day - I cannot remember exactly now, but I do recall not telling the remaining soldiers at the time, as that would have crushed their hope completely. I did all I could for him, but his wounds were too severe. Anié escaped with her life".

"I am sorry, Legolas" he finished.

Legolas was concerned for Anié, but his heart was grieving heavily for his father.

"Would you like to see him?" asked Beridhren gently.

"_Ada_…" he whispered, lowering his head - he simply could not believe it.


	3. Chapter 3

Beridhren gave Legolas a moment to come to terms with his shock – it has hardly the homecoming the Prince had expected and hoped for – and left him alone in the healing chambers for a while. Legolas sat in silence, thinking of his Father and hoping that Anié was alright and that he would see her soon. Some questions were answered, some remained, but for now Legolas was filled with grief.

After a little while, Beridhren returned and softly called to Legolas to follow him, if he would. Beridhren led Legolas down some passages that he had never seen or been down before. Eventually, they turned into a corridor and at the other end was a pair of closed doors. The two loyal guards standing by them, upon seeing Legolas, stared at him with a mixture of joy and disbelief, but also instinctively stood to attention. Legolas nodded to both of them, but wondered what it was they were guarding.

Beridhren brought out a key and unlocked the doors. Pushing one of them open, Legolas saw a glimpse of the inside – there were flowers, a large table and on it, something large and long was covered in a white sheet. Legolas suddenly understood – this is where his Father lay.

Beridhren turned to Legolas:

"The room has been prepared and has been constantly guarded since he was brought here. The people are already aware of his death. You may stay for as long or as short a time as you wish, take your time. I will be back in the healing quarters if you need me".

With that, he placed a reassuring hand on Legolas' shoulder and left him, the doors shutting behind the Prince being the only sound to echo down the silent corridor.

Legolas remained alone with his father for some time. No-one knows what he did in there – whether he spoke to his father or examined him or simply sat in silent vigil - for no-one dared disturb him. Eventually he emerged from the room, his face engraved with a deep sadness, and asked that the guards remain guarding him until the Prince said otherwise. Legolas knew it would be up to him to decide what happened to his Father's body, and at some point soon he would have to make a decision, but his thoughts were distracted when Beridhren saw him leave the room and met him in the corridor.

"Are you alright, Legolas?" the healer asked kindly.

Legolas said nothing and simply nodded.

"Your chambers are currently being prepared for you" Beridhren told Legolas.

"But before I leave you to your rest, there is one more thing I would like to show you".

Legolas followed Beridhren back to the healing chambers without uttering a single word – he was too grief-stricken and mentally weary to question anymore. Upon reaching the entrance of the room they had previously been in, Beridhren stopped him and told him to wait outside, before he himself entered the room and disappeared.

Head bent and mind deep in thought, Legolas waited outside for some moments until eventually the doctor returned, slowing leading out with him a patient. She was slightly smaller than Beridhren, fair of complexion, slender yet strong with long dark-brown hair and very beautiful. Beridhren held her hand as he guided her through the doorframe and out into the corridor where Legolas stood, his head now lifted and his eyes and mouth agape – he had recognised her instantly.

The woman's name was Anié, Legolas' dearest and only love. She was dressed entirely in white – as was traditional for long-term patients in the healing chambers, particularly if their clothes had been bloodied in battle – and what startled Legolas the most was that she also wore a large white bandage over her eyes.

Beridhren lead her to Legolas and stood her before him. Slowly and cautiously, she stretched out her hands to find Legolas and her palms found his shoulders. Moving them upwards, caressing each feature she encountered as she did so, her fingers eventually reached his face. Each feature she recognised and remembered – his skin, his jaw, his nose, his ears, the touch of his hair and the general shape of his face. She smiled and gasped with joy:

"Legolas? Is that truly you?"

"Yes" he replied softly, taking her hands in his own and moving forwards so their foreheads touched.

"Yes, it's me. I've come home".

After a moment's pause to take it in, she cried: "Oh Legolas!" and held him tightly. He too wrapped his arms around her and held her very close to him, as though she would disappear if he let go.

"You have been away for so long" said Anié like an excited child, wondering what to say as she was so delirious with happiness.

"You must tell me everything!"

Beridhren quickly put his hand on her arm to catch her attention:

"You have plenty of time to exchange stories, Anié, but the Prince Legolas has had a long, difficult day and I am sure he is very tired and would profit from some rest".

Anié calmed herself and nodded understandingly. Unlike what Beridhren had said, Legolas had no intention of resting just yet, for he had no objection to Anié's company - yes he felt weary from his travelling and his grief, but Anié's cheerful and gentle nature could quench all his thirsts and heal his drooping spirit.

Before bidding them farewell for now, Beridhren told the Prince that his room would be ready by now and that he should go and get some rest, as he will be required to speak before the people and with the Council tomorrow.

"Hope for this country has been reborn with your return. You will inspire the people to transform this kingdom after all the evil that has so wrongly befallen it, and to make it as grand and beautiful a place as it was before. I have faith in you".

These words remained etched in Legolas' heart and such responsibility and expectation troubled him, but he decided that he would rest before confronting the task. With a final word, the doctor reminded them both that he was always here if they needed with, and with that he left them.

Legolas and Anié walked down the many corridors within the great Palace – Legolas gently guiding her as they did so – and soon they reached their chambers (which they had long since shared, being a couple). Upon shutting the door behind him, he pulled Anié into a deep embrace and held her closely to him, whispering in her ear:

"For the many months I have been away, I have longed for this…you have no idea how happy I am to have you in my arms, you cannot even imagine".

Anié accepted his warm, strong arms gladly and held him back in return – they both shared the same need for each other's company after so long apart. After remaining thus for a few long moments, Anié located his lips with her fingertips and gently pulled him into a loving kiss. At first, Legolas thought he might melt as his heart soared at the initial sensation, but then he remembered just how much he had missed this and he caressed her passionately. They remained thus for a while, sometimes kissing and being passionately romantic, sometimes just standing there or lying on the bed, bodies close and content simply to be in each other's company.

It was Anié who first broke the peaceful silence:

"I don't know what to say. There are so many stories to tell, so many gaps to fill, and yet I do not know where to start".

Legolas chuckled a little, understanding completely:

"We both have many tales and much to share, but first I must ask…"

He turned to her and was cautious of what he said, desperate though he was to ask and learn:

"Your eyes…"

Anié's smile faded a little and her head fell:

"As the good doctor said, there is much for both of us to discuss".

Legolas saw the happiness fall from her face and the shadow saddened him, for he too was deeply saddened by the devastation that had been wrought on his homeland and the people he loved so dearly. He placed his palm on the side of her face and drew very close to her face to let her know he was there.

"The shadow has passed, _veleth nîn_" he soothingly reassured her, "the darkness is over".

"How much do you already know?" she asked, comforted by his words.

Now it was Legolas' face that fell, though of course Anié could not see this and so only became concerned by his lack of response.

"I know about the battle…and I know about my Father" he finally responded sadly.

Inside Anié was grateful that it did not have to be her to break the news to him, but she understood Legolas' grief entirely and placed her hand on his as a sign of support:

"I am so sorry. His death was a shock to us all. He was a great man and a great leader. He will never be forgotten".

True though these words were, they did not ease Legolas' grief or suffering in the slightest. He could still barely believe that he had lost his father and seemed to cling onto the fact that Anié was with him and had survived as his only support mechanism. Legolas was also aware that he could not appear sad for long, for he was not the only person to have suffered.

Both Anié and Legolas knew that neither of their stories would be joyful to tell and it would be difficult for the two of them, but they both needed to know the other's person's story, so Legolas began with what happened since he had left his Father's halls so many moons ago and gave as brief an account as possible of his adventures – the Council of Elrond, his visit to Lothlórien, his travels with Aragorn, the final battle outside the Black Gates of Mordor, the Hobbits who made it all possible, Aragorn's coronation, his habitation in Ithilien and his friendship with Gimli the Dwarf - and Anié informed him of the happenings in Mirkwood in his absence that would be of interest to him and that he did not already know – council decisions, particular events, good news, bad news and eventually Thranduil's decision for a final stand against the enemy, though she could only supply Legolas with limited information of that occasion, as it was during the battle that she herself was injured and she was not present at Thranduil's death. It had grown dark and the moon was high in the sky by the time she reached that point in her tale and it was there that she stopped, for the rest either Legolas already knew or it was simply too sad to retell, especially when they were already grieving. However, Legolas was interested in one point that Anié had overlooked:

"And what of you?" he asked earnestly. "What happened?"

Anié seemed almost reluctant at first to tell her story, but she understood that Legolas would want to know:

"I was on the battlefield, in the thick of the fray. I was fighting fiercely, they saw me as a dangerous threat and they suddenly began ambushing me. There would be one in front of you, you spun round and there would be two behind. You helped the man next to you and others helped me as much as they could, but everyone was in the same position, everyone was surrounded; the Enemy spread as far as the eye could see, there was no hope of escape from them, so you just kept moving and kept fighting".

"I attacked them as fast as I could, I turned suddenly and one of the Enemy swung one of their glass oil lanterns into my face - they had used them for travelling through the night and I believe they used fire against us whenever they had the opportunity. It had been lit, so the oil inside was still burning. Its face was the last thing I saw – the glass shattered, cutting me across here (her hand gestured across her face at the level of her eyes to show where she had been hit) and I just remember – the shock of the pain - the oil entering my eyes – I could feel the blood dripping down my face and the oil burning – it was like fire – dreadful liquid burning fire…"

Her voice faltered there as she remembered the horrific sensation of the pain of the cuts, the panic of bleeding, and the terrifying helplessness as the oil burnt away her eyes. She desperately tried to erase it from her mind, but it was a memory that she would not forget.

Legolas recognised her trauma of reliving it all and became concerned for her, so placing his arms around her once again and drawing her close to him, he comforted her and reassured her, saying that everything was going to be alright and that she need say no more.

"I remember screaming" she finished, "and I don't know how I managed to escape alive without them taking advantage and killing me, but someone saw me in trouble, dragged me to safety and I've stayed with the doctor ever since. I know no more".

Anié was clearly distressed and so it was there that the story ended, though Legolas did not feel that he needed to know anymore – he had heard everything now.

"I am so sorry, Anié – for everything that has happened to you" Legolas uttered truthfully, his voice brimming with emotion and sorrow.

"I was just curious. I did not mean to upset you, forgive me".

Anié sat up by herself to show Legolas that she was alright and shook her head:

"Do not be – you wish to know all you've missed, I understand. It wasn't you, I just remember – I haven't thought about it in a while, that's all".

Legolas nodded, understandingly.

Anié briefly continued: "The doctor said I should keep the bandage on, even though the wounds should have healed by now".

Her voice dropped and she could not hide the sadness in her voice as she said:

"I only have empty sockets now, and he said it would scare people".

Legolas' heart ached for her and he gently brushed his fingertips over her bandage. Her injury became even more real as he felt not eyelids or eyelashes, but hollow mounds where her eyes used to be.

It was now getting late and the pair knew that with Legolas' return, work and preparations would begin tomorrow and the day would undoubtedly be a long one, so they decided that they should probably take some rest.

In an instant, Legolas remembered something. He briefly moved away from Anié, took a small box from his belongings and returned to the bed, sitting just in front of Anié.

"I have a gift for you" he said.

He opened up her palm and handed her the little box. Anié studied it carefully with her fingertips before discovering how to open it. Doing so very carefully, she asked Legolas to describe its contents. Inside, hanging on the shiny gold chain, was a tiny, beautifully-crafted glass vial containing a mysterious red liquid. Legolas placed her fingertips on it so she could feel it as he explained:

"On my travels I visited many strange and wonderful places, and this was given to me by a noble friend of mine who lives many leagues south from here. This pendant is a glass vial which contains a healing liquid – it may not be strong enough to save one's life, but it can help revive the spirits of the broken and provide aid for injuries. Its potency will last for a many a year and there is not much of it left in this world, for only few (such as Lord Elrond in Rivendell, for example) know where to find it, let alone how to make it. It is very precious… and it is yours".

He carefully lifted the vial and chain out of the box and fastened it delicately around Anié's neck, who held her hair out of Legolas' way. It fell perfectly into place and Anié could feel the cold metal on her skin. But it wasn't uncomfortable – even though she couldn't see it or herself, she felt beautiful.

"Thank you, my love" she said to her lover – she was grateful for the gift and that he had lightened the mood.

"It is wonderful and I am so happy to have you back home safe".

They both smiled and they kissed once again – those words went deeper than either of them knew.

"I'm just going to have a walk around" said Legolas. "You stay here, I'll be back soon".

Legolas didn't want to leave Anié, but he did feel that he needed a moment alone. He wandered through the lonesome, seemingly empty palace – yet even in the silence, his footfall made no sound – and eventually arrived at the Great Hall, a vast, beautifully-ornate room with carved tree-like pillars and his Father's mighty throne, with its natural decorations of berries and leaves not hiding its presence of authority, which now lay dormant and looked almost dusty in the darkness. He stood in the doorway and looked out over the land which bore an eerie silence, like that of some tragedy or terrible massacre. One could imagine the deep water of the forest river which flowed a little way from the palace running with the blood of fallen comrades and foreign foes, and although trees stood tall as ever, the gentle wind making the leaves rustle and sway, the spirit and life from within the great forest seemed to be gone, like feeling from a scar too deep to heal. In such an environment, Legolas simply stood, watching and listening.

After some time, remaining outside, he moved away from the tall entrance and once he was truly alone, he knelt on the grass and by the side of the forest river which flowed ceaselessly like the endless sands of time, the shock finally washed over him and he wept openly.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next few days, Legolas met and spoke to the people who had remained in the forest and held many meetings with counsellors and advisors to discuss plans to rebuild and bring the light back to Mirkwood, as Legolas made it perfectly clear that he was not going to abandon the country that he loved so dearly to crumble now that a new dawn had risen on an age of peace. Many who heard him were inspired by his words, agreed with him and offered their full support, much to Legolas' delight. Anié for one was extremely proud of him.

Although for the moment Legolas was not yet King – only if the Council and the people agreed as a majority that he should rule in Thranduil's stead would the coronation ceremony take place – a combination of his passion and willing to help rebuild the lives and the homes of this great land, the people's admiration and respect of him and the fact that he was by blood next in line for the throne meant that it would come as no surprise if Legolas become Mirkwood's next King sometime in the near future (though nothing had yet been said or discussed).

Deep down Legolas was aware of this, but it felt like an impending doom rather than an achievement or title that he had earnt or deserved. Although he appeared very confident in front of the Council and had many discussions with them, Anié noticed in the evenings that he didn't speak much but was quiet and often deep in thought – he had an air of disquiet about him and this began to concern her, so one night, Anié confronted him about this:

"Is everything alright?" she asked delicately, sitting next to him on the bed and holding his hands.

"You know you can talk to me about anything?"

Legolas was deeply grateful inside for her love and that support helped him speak his mind:

"The people look up to me; to be their leader, to make things right. But I don't know if I can – their expectations… I don't – feel – I don't know if I can deliver. I'm just not ready or prepared to fill my father's throne".

Anié pondered on his words for a moment:

"You don't believe in yourself" she concluded simply.

She continued: "No-one is ready or prepared to take on such a task as being King, but they see your true potential and all the things you have done for this land – that is why they look up to you as a person and as their Prince. They know your love for them will lead you to make the right choices and to rebuild everything that has been destroyed. All of this will take time".

"I cannot do this alone" Legolas thought aloud.

"I would consider you foolish if you believed anything different" Anié replied, smiling.

"Your people and I will always stand by your side, to support you and to serve you".

Legolas' worries had not disappeared by any means, but he was greatly comforted by her words and smiling, he cupped her beautiful face in his hands and kissed her to show his gratitude. Legolas would feel completely alone without her love, even if he had the support of his council and all of Middle Earth behind him – her own struggle and determination was in itself admirable.

Inspired by Anié's words, Legolas continued to work and help others where he could, leaving Anié most of the time alone to do what she pleased. However, her recent blindness meant that there was very little – if anything - she could now independently do, so her good friend Cúrina stayed with her and helped her out. Cúrina and her husband, Baros, had become good friends with Legolas and Anié – Baros served under Legolas and the two women spent much time together. After her accident Cúrina often cooked for Anié and guided her around the Palace whenever they went out. Anié was very grateful to her friend for her unconditional love and support and never forgot to thank her friend at the end of the day. Anié wished in her heart that she was able to do more things by herself, as her constant dependence on others became tedious and she felt very much like a burden, but she could not deny her need for assistance and she reassured herself that at least she had friendly company.

One day Anié was alone for a little while (Cúrina couldn't be with her _all_ the time, of course) and she decided that she wanted to go for a walk - although it was still very difficult without sight, Anié felt she knew the Palace well enough and besides, she wasn't going to go far, certainly not out into the forest where it was dangerous alone and armed, let alone blind. She got up from the bed, cautiously found her way to the door and moving very slowly, she left the bedroom, shut the door and edged forwards step by step, hands feeling the wall beside her. When she came to the end of a wall or a corner, she used her memories to visualize her surroundings in her mind so she could figure out where to go next.

For a while she was doing well and seemed to be finding her way round, but the corridors in the Palace of Mirkwood are many and winding and one easily forgets just how much one relies on visual marks and clues to remind you of where you are. After a while, Anié became a little less sure of exactly where she was and was only semi-confident of the corners she took, but she wasn't worried – she knew she was still inside the Palace and she could always call out to someone for directions if she needed to. Eventually the wall she was feeling her way beside ended and she came out into a large open space which she correctly assumed was the Great Hall, though it seemed surprisingly quiet, normally there were people. Anié had been a little nervous about arriving at the Great Hall, as there were no walls or railings she could guide herself with when walking across its vast open space - there was also a danger of not being able to see who or what was there, as the Great Hall is full of many things, such as carpets, pillars, etc - and was considering that she had come far enough and should probably go back, but she was keen to explore and was sure to be careful, so she wandered out a little bit, stepping carefully with hands stretched out in front of her.

She pottered around slowly for a while, but soon decided that there was no-one/nothing of interest here and she was already content with the progress she had made thus far (which she considered quite an achievement), so she decided to turn around and head back. Unfortunately, whilst wandering around the Great Hall she had lost her orientation a little and now wasn't entirely sure where to find the corridor she had just come from. But again she wasn't too worried – all these corridors led to places she knew anyway and although there was no-one around at the moment, there was bound to be _someone_ around to point her in the right direction (if she needed to, that is).

She headed in the direction which she thought was best and her hands found the edges of a wall. This pleased Anié, as she felt a little more secure with something to follow, but just as she started feeling confident again, she placed her foot down onto thin air and suddenly discovered that the floor was much lower than expected and before she could stop herself or realise what was happening, her hands left the wall and she fell sharply down what she now realised was not the floor, but a small flight of stairs leading to an underground cellar room, probably for storing wine barrels or something similar.

She did not fall far but the stones were hard and she felt bruised all over. As well as feeling sorry for herself, she also felt very foolish, as she imagined what it must look like. She stumbled to her feet, feeling where the steps were so she could climb out of them, but upon standing on her own two feet, she felt a sudden pain in her ankle, which she feared she may have fallen badly on. Putting pressure on it was very painful and even the slightest movement of her now sensitive foot made her ankle twinge, as if a metal blade had pierced the bone.

Shortly afterwards, Legolas was walking down the corridor towards his chambers when a messenger stopped him. After hearing what he had to say, Legolas thanked the man for his message and walked swiftly towards the room that he and Anié shared. Upon opening the door, he was surprised to see the healer on his knees, finishing wrapping up Anié's foot in a bandage. He was also surprised by Anié's reaction of his arrival:

"I told the messenger not to disturb him!" she exclaimed as the healer informed her of Legolas' entrance.

"It's alright, he didn't disturb me" Legolas reassured her, "he saw me in the corridor and told me what had happened".

Legolas thanked the healer, who was just leaving and as he shut the door, Legolas knelt before Anié and observed her foot carefully.

"He said you fell?" questioned Legolas.

"Yes" sighed Anié reluctantly, "I was out walking and…accidentally fell down some stairs. Someone nearby heard the crash of me falling, helped me up and led me back here before sending for the healer to have a look at my foot. They think it's sprained rather than broken, but he said it's damaged enough that I'll have to rest it for a while".

She paused: "You've been dragged away from your business, I'm sorry. You can go now, I'll be fine".

Legolas shook his head: "No it's alright, I had only a few minor things to deal with today and so I was on my way to see you".

"Oh" replied Anié.

"You were out walking on your own?" Legolas continued to enquire.

"Yes" she replied – she knew that question would come next.

She paused again: "You don't have to stay, I'm alright really".

Legolas wondered why she was implying that he should go:

"I'm quite happy staying with you – unless you want me to go?"

She remained silent for a moment, shook her head a little and said nothing. Then, to Legolas' horror, her face became distorted, her breathing stilted and her shoulders (just slightly) began to shake – Anié was starting to cry.

"Anié?" said Legolas, placing his hand on her own. "What's wrong?"

Her voice was sad now, though she managed to control herself:

"It was foolish, I know - it was foolish to try and be independent when you can't see and my damaged ankle is my own fault. I know it was stupid of me, but I don't want people to have to look after me all the time, it's not fair on them and I feel selfish for it…I just don't want to be a burden to anybody anymore because…they have their lives too and there are others who suffer worse than I…I just…I feel foolish and stupid and guilty for being a burden and…forgive me…I cannot even cry properly – Legolas forgive me…"

Anié couldn't say anymore and she broke down crying, though no tears could now adorn her face. Legolas' heart broke to see her in such a state – he sat on the bed next to her, kissed her forehead and held her close to him, realising then that she hadn't wanted him to leave but she didn't want him to see her cry. Anié's body still rocked with emotion as her voice choked and she felt so utterly miserable- she tried so hard to be strong all of the time but being the brave, determined woman she was didn't make the trauma and the difficulties of life any easier to bear.

"Anié, wearing a bandage does not hide your beauty, nor does losing your sight make you any less the wonderful person that you are. You are never a burden, unless living with you and loving you would be considered such, in which case I will carry it gladly! You are not foolish or stupid or guilty … you have courage and admirable determination of the highest kind. In truth, all that you are guilty of is for having stolen my heart and bound it to your own".

Her heart became warm at his words and he kissed her forehead passionately:

"Do not say such things of yourself, Anié, it pierces my heart and ears to hear them. I love you so dearly, and I will never, ever leave you".

Although Legolas could not fully understand her pain, he felt truly sorry for her. Kind though his words may have been, he did not feel like they really did the situation justice and he could think of nothing that he could say that would make everything alright again. His heart sank and he held her very close to him, apologising profusely for not being able to help her in her hour of need. She in turn said there was no need and apologised herself for falling into weakness. They took comfort in each other and held each other close in a moment of peace…which was suddenly broken by a clear knock at the door.

He felt torn between comforting his love and seeing to the person at the door, until Anié gently pulled away from him and sat by herself, still clearly sad yet silently telling Legolas that he could go, composing herself should a visitor come in to see her. Legolas looked at her mournfully and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder to show his presence and support before standing up and answering the door.

It was one of the members of the Council – Gornon was his name, a man of some experience who was not unlikeable but had a sometimes over-eager temperament combined with an occasional impatience, especially when it came to great matters that he believed quite strongly in. He was a fiercely loyal subject and whole-heartedly devoted to King Thranduil; although he never openly said it, he did not believe that Legolas the Son had the same courage and boldness that made his Father the King of authority that he was, and no-one could ever really take his place as leader of Mirkwood. It was not that he did not like Legolas, but rather after having served such leaders as Oropher and Thranduil, he did not see much potential in the young Prince as heir to the throne.

As Legolas opened the door, he saw Gornon standing there with an undeniable beam on his face and an almost twitchy glint in his eye. He bowed low and greeted the Prince before bidding him to come to the Great Hall to meet with some other members of the Council – they had clearly been discussing something which they were very eager to share, though Gornon had clearly planned what he was going to say very carefully:

"We have been contemplating the future of the throne, your Highness" he explained, "and we believe we have just made a breakthrough".


	5. Chapter 5

After yesterday's accident, Legolas felt that he could not leave Anié now in her hour of need, regardless of how important or revolutionary this apparent 'breakthrough' was, so he managed to sweet-talk the eager councillor Gornon into leaving him and Anié in peace for the evening by promising him that he would attend to them first thing the next morning. When Legolas arrived in the Great Hall that morning, the councillors were once again deep in discussion and as soon as the Prince walked into the room, they all turned to him, ceased their talking and stood to attention. They were clearly ready to express their news – they seemed almost excited; Gornon in particular was looking like he would burst with news if the meeting did not begin soon. Legolas therefore guessed that this may have something to do with his father, though he couldn't think what.

With Legolas walked Anié, who held Legolas' hand as he guided her into the Great Hall. Anié did not attend every such meeting, but she liked to show her support and she certainly wanted to help wherever she could, even if it was only verbally. Interestingly, when Gornon saw her walk in, he seemed to grimace at her – not maliciously, but he appeared not to entirely approve of her presence; it was Legolas he wanted to speak to.

Legolas and Anié were seated and the meeting began. Anié remained silent and still throughout as one of the elder councillors stepped forward:

"Your Highness – and my Lady – may I begin this meeting by saying on behalf of the whole Council that (as I am sure you have already heard) we are delighted by your safe return, but we understand your concerns about being thrown into such an important role as leader of this land after the sudden news of your Father's death – it is an immense task and an exceptionally demanding position for those who have not been prepared, but we believe that we have found a solution".

"A solution?" questioned Legolas. "Do you mean another heir? That is not possible".

"Not quite, your Highness" the Councillor explained, "but rather…how you might say…a restoration".

Legolas tried to imitate his Father's serious expression, although a confused expression would have more correctly reflected his thoughts, as he couldn't understand what the councillor meant by 'restoration' at all (he began to wonder if his father felt the same conflictions between what he felt and what he should show).

"Go on" he said clearly.

The councillor continued: "Some of our fellow Councillors are experts in the studies of the history and tales of the Valar, as you know, and after much research and discussion, they have an idea that in the pursuit of restoring our belovéd Mirkwood to its former glory – (he paused impressively for effect) – it may be possible to ask the Valar to bring your Father, the King Thranduil, back to life again".

Legolas leaned forward slightly: "What?"

The councillor had expected such a reaction:

"The theory of such a resurrection goes like this: if a sufficient enough reason is brought before the Valar as to why a specific individual should be given back their life, such as future lives or events will be drastically altered by that person's death or the Valar deem it as untimely if they have a future plan for that person for example, the soul and spirit will be revived in that being and they shall be granted new life. We all know the example of the great Elf, Glorfindel, who fell after slaying a Balrog and was brought back to give his services to Rivendell and the destruction of the Enemy".

The other council members nodded vigorously in confirmation.

"What is the probability that such a theory would work?" Legolas inquired.

"Would Thranduil remain here forever or only be granted a short while?"

"We believe forever, your Highness, such as Glorfindel. Of course there is no absolute guarantee that this will work – it is in the end up to the Valar themselves to decide – we feel that is worth a try".

After a short pause, the Councillor asked: "What says your Highness?"

Legolas paused for a moment, his finger placed upon his lip in thought:

"How would we do this?" he asked.

The councillor turned to look behind him and another of the councillors stepped forward – he was clearly one of those learned in the history and tales of the Valar:

"There is a secret place to which we must go, my Prince. It is found in the Withered Heath, over the Grey Mountains far north beyond the borders of the forest. It is a special deserted place, hidden away and known for its mysteries and hidden spirituality in ages gone by. We must assemble there, summon the Valar present, call out to Eru – God of all – with a ready heart and a determined will, at which point Eru will hear your request and judge whether he feels that you are sincere and that the situation is worthy of what we ask of them".

"It would be you who would present our request, your Highness" he added.

Legolas looked directly at the learned councillor and questioned him:

"From what little I know of such matters, I believe that the Valar and the mighty Eru would want something in return for such a favour – is that not so?"

"You are correct, my Prince" the councillor replied, "but we cannot know in advance what such a price would be. Even with the case of Glorfindel, we do not know what price was asked of him, and some even speculate that the Valar have yet to claim it - perhaps that will be the way with us. However, general belief is that it is for the Valar to ask and not for us to offer".

When Legolas seemed finished with the expert, the lead councillor added:

"Have you any further questions, your Highness?"

They all looked eagerly at him, seeking his approval. Legolas recognised this and thought deeply for a moment and choosing his words carefully before he decided to speak. Whilst he was running through their proposal in his mind, Anié for the first time spoke up:

"Why can Legolas not be King? Is he not the heir to the throne? His aid in defeating the Dark Lord Sauron and his efforts since his return prove beyond any doubt that he is more than capable".

The room fell deadly silent. No-one dared to make eye contact with either Anié or Legolas, as many of the Councillors were of the same or similar opinion as Gornon when it came to Legolas' ability to rule after a leader such as Thranduil. After a dreadfully awkward silence, one of the Council members (another fiercely loyal devotee to the late King) responded:

"King Thranduil was loved by all, and all both feared and respected his iron rod of authority. There are few left in this world, let alone in Mirkwood, who possess such strength as he had, and it is that legendary presence that is required to rebuild the Kingdom of Mirkwood to what it once was".

Quiet fell again once more, though this time it was less awkward – the man had spoken well, even if Anié was still not entirely convinced.

The lead councillor spoke once again: "I would suggest that along with your necessary presence, your Highness, you would require a certain number of soldiers to act as bodyguards and protection on your journey – not too many, as this is a sacred place, perhaps a small number or a couple of bodyguards, and then…a group of us here present to accompany you?"

Certain members of the Council rose, including the learned pair to whom Legolas had previously spoken and Gornon, and expressed their desire and commitment to come on this quest. Legolas thought he could easily spare a handful of soldiers as bodyguards, but one possibility had not entered his mind until it was voiced aloud…

"I too shall come with you" said Anié clearly, placing her hand on Legolas'.

"Even though I do not know how firmly I believe in this plan, I will be there to support you, no matter what you choose".

Another awkward silence fell – Legolas was touched by her words, but the general consensus of the councillors said that Anié should stay behind. No-one said this, of course, but the councillor Gornon could not restrain an audible chuckle, which immediately attracted everyone's attention:

"My lady, in all due respect, you cannot even walk around the palace without doing yourself damage, how do you expect travel across country? We cannot lead you around like a blind dog in a thicket".

Anié's jaw dropped a little and she was deeply hurt.

"Enough!" said Legolas, his voice resounding through the Great Hall (similarly to how Thranduil's had done).

He stood and rose to show his authority:

"Gentlemen, firstly I thank you for your time, your efforts of research and for informing me of this theory – it has certainly given me much to think about. It is true that there is a great deal hanging on the shoulders on the one chosen to lead his people. My father was a great and noble leader who did much for this country – without him and everything he did for us, I strongly doubt that we would still be here, we would have fallen into the hands of the Enemy long ago - and I would of course dearly love to have him back. I ask you now to indulge me and be patient for a short while, while I consider what you have told me".

"I cannot believe they doubt you so; after everything you've done for this country, they speak as though you are incapable of becoming King" said Anié later that day, sitting on the edge of the bed with her hands on her lap, a tone of annoyance slicing through her voice.

Legolas gave a short light-hearted chuckle, as he moved around the bedroom sorting things out: "I did notice".

Anié, however, was not so light of heart. She was genuinely quite cross with what the councillors thought of Legolas (and yet were too cowardly to say).

"How dare they" she muttered under her voice.

"Do not worry about what they think" assured Legolas.

"Maybe they're right, but for now, we must focus on the present…"

"Maybe they're right?!" said Anié incredulously, turning sharply in Legolas' direction.

With a slighter gentler tone, he asked: "How can you say such a thing!?"

"They have done much research - it is for the good of the people, and the Councillors sound very sure it'll work".

"I wasn't referring to that" said Anié seriously.

Legolas sighed: "Anié…" he pleaded. Another sigh of difficulty passed his lips.

"This country has known no other King like my Father – it can do no harm to try and bring him back".

"It is a foolish mission" Anié continued vehemently, showing no signs of stopping. She stood up and begun pacing back and forth in the room.

"It is not that I do not wish for your Father's return – I would gladly have him still with us – but to speak as though all is lost without him, that there are no others _worthy_ enough to succeed him…in the presence of his own _son_ whom he trained and brought up to be a better King than any of them could ever _hope_ to be…In any other country, it would be seen as treason to say such a thing! To _dare_ to! If I…"

Before she could say anymore, she turned sharply mid-pace and crashed into a small table. She growled loudly, rubbing her bruised leg and kicked the offending furniture aside.

"Anié…" pleaded Legolas once more, moving towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders in a (hopefully) calming gesture.

"I do not believe they intend a slur against either of us. If we could bring my father back, it could make this country complete again, before choosing his own time to depart this world and to sail to the West".

Anié remained silent. Yes, Thranduil was possibly the greatest King this young realm had ever seen, but did not Thranduil choose his time when he decided to ride out for his country? As for the outcome of this mission, only time would tell, but there was something else on her mind…

"If you are decided on his quest, may I come with you?" she asked.

When Legolas did not reply, her face and hopes fell.

"You agree that I should not come" she voiced aloud with a defeated tone of voice.

Legolas exhaled and explained in all truthfulness:

"I think they may be right. I would gladly take you with me, wherever I went, but this journey will be long and the terrain treacherous – they inform me that we will have to traverse a long stretch of the Grey Mountains in order to get there – I would not want to drag you out on such a journey if your presence was not necessary or if there was any risk of you being hurt".

While Legolas spoke, Anié sank down to sit on the side of the bed.

"So it would be easier if I stayed?" she said, placing particular bitter emphasis on the word 'easier'.

"Not necessarily easier, but perhaps best" replied Legolas, cautiously but calmly.

"But I am forever to remain here!" exclaimed Anié.

"Ever since I was cursed with this blindness, I have been told to stay here, within these walls, out of the way. I want to get out, Legolas, to be outside again. Do you know how long it has been since I have walked in the woods and breathed the fresh air? Being blind should not make me so useless and vulnerable - or perhaps you agree with…"

She stopped herself and said no more. She was about to say "Do you agree with Gornon?" whose callous remark about her being like a 'blind dog' she had not forgotten. She felt Legolas encapsulate her hands with his own – he knew she was hurt:

"Gornon should not have said what he did to you. It is true that I am conflicted as to whether or not you should come – I do not know – but those words were not necessary".

Anié accepted what came as close to an apology as she was ever going to get.

"You've only just come back – I don't want to say goodbye to you again".

"I know" replied Legolas, "but someone needs to stay here to rule in my stead, a role which you are more than capable of".

"Any one of the Councillors could easily do that" she quickly responded.

"Why can't you stay here, and send others in your stead?"

"I have to go – this country will never be the same without my Father and I have to bring him back if I can, it's the only way this Kingdom will survive".

Anié was saddened that her Prince and lover thought so little of himself – she knew he would make an excellent King, if only he would see it. She sighed and said quietly:

"I only wish to help, but it is your decision – if you wish me to come, I will join you. If I would be more useful here, I shall stay. I will support you whatever you choose".

Being blind and relying only on sound, the silence in the room made it difficult for Anié to know where Legolas was, until he sat down next to her and gently pulled her face in his direction.

"I know" he said softly before placing their foreheads together, their noses rubbing tenderly against each other.

"I am forever grateful for your love and support".

Anié placed her hands on Legolas' as a symbol of union: "As I am of yours".

They remained so for a few moments, enjoying the blissful moment of peace before Anié gave a quiet chuckle:

"You know one positive thing about being blind?" she asked teasingly, changing to a lighter subject.

"What is that?" Legolas asked in reply.

She smiled cheekily: "All of my other senses are heightened – smell, sound…touch…" she added, stroking her fingers down the side of his perfect face.

Legolas agreed wholeheartedly, taking her fingers in his hand and kissing them lightly.

"You forgot taste…" the Prince replied, capturing her lips with his own and laying her down beneath him on the bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Dawn broke early amidst cloudy skies the next morning and as the tips of the forest were bathed in a pinkish red, many of the inhabitants of the Mirkwood palace were already stirring. Once the sun had fully risen, the party were ready to depart on their expedition. Anié had already said a touching yet temporary farewell to Legolas, who was now waiting patiently outside the Palace for the rest of the group (and who had quickly spoken to Beridhren the doctor before departing, asking him to keep a special eye on Anié, which the good doctor promised to do), and the other councillors who would be accompanying them were already outside, well prepared and ready to go. They were now just waiting for the two lead scholars of the ways of the Valar, who were the last to leave the Palace.

Soon one of the two appeared and begged the party to wait a moment, as his colleague had just found something that may be of interest to their quest and would be with them very shortly.

"I see we are all here present", he questioned after having delivered the message from his friend, "but where is the Lady Anié?"

"Anié will not be joining us on our journey" Legolas replied.

Gornon could not suppress a smile from appearing on his lips.

"Oh" the scholar replied, and was just about to slip into deep thought, when…

"She must come!" his fellows scholar cried out as he ran out from the Great Hall, waving a parchment in his hand.

This sudden outburst caused many heads to turn, but the scholar ran up to Legolas and explained:

"Forgive me, your Highness, but I have been thinking about this document. It speaks of the sacred place where we are heading, and a passage written in an ancient language says it 'can only be found with living eyes'. Now we assumed this to mean the obvious, but I believe a more correct translation to be 'with _mind's_ eye', such as memory, belief and other heightened senses unique to our kind".

Legolas stirred: "With blindness, all other senses are heightened…" he thought aloud.

"Exactly, my Lord" the scholar replied.

"We believe that Anié may be the key to finding the hidden entrance to the sacred place of the Valar".

Legolas called to the guards: "Fetch Anié immediately! Attend to her every need and make sure she is fully prepared, and quickly!"

One of the guards ran off as messenger and brought Anié back with him almost instantly, who had changed into travelling clothes and wore Legolas' vial pendant still round her neck – some speculated by her speed that she may have already been prepared to leave, and perhaps was even considering following them alone. It was fair to say that Gornon was not impressed:

'She didn't believe in the plan anyway' he muttered to himself.

Only the accompanying guards were properly armed - they did not expect to encounter any danger or trouble, though Legolas did bring with him a white knife, and Gornon a sword – and they were soon ready to depart. A crowd of people – the few that still remained in the Palace of Mirkwood - had gathered to see the party leave. A large portion of the Council stayed behind to guard the palace and the people of the forest in the Prince's absence, but the people would survive without a fixed leader for a little while – indeed, when talking to one of the small families who had suffered much in the struggles, one of the citizens in his grief told Legolas that there was nothing left to rule.

As Legolas stood before them, he looked into their hearts and faces and saw much longing and sadness for all that they had lost; for the West, it was a victory against the seemingly-impenetrable evil of Sauron, but for the Elves such as those who huddled before him, it was clear evidence of the long defeat and truth that no-one could truly win against such malice and destruction. He gave them parting words of hope that they would return with good fortune, though responsibility hung heavy on Legolas once again to fulfil his duty and to bring them back a leader who could promise them hope and comfort after the horrors they had witnessed. After that, with everyone assembled and as prepared as they were ever going to be, they bid farewell to their Palace and people and set off.

Their route led them in a North-East direction out of the forest leaving the forest river behind them and head east into the Grey Mountains until they came to a place called the Withered Heath, a desolate, deserted area of ground untouched by man, Elf or beast for countless years. Due to this no-one knew whether it would be barren or beautiful, but it was there that the scholars believed the summoning should take place. The group stayed together whilst walking, unless a guard went ahead to scout the area, though no threat was found. They stayed in no particular order, but normally Legolas remained in front and the scholars and Council members followed close behind. Anié was often found next to Legolas, but she did not rely on him for guidance – her feet led her well and with her hands in front of her chest whilst following the sound of the group's near-silent footfall, no tree root snared her footing nor did she once stumble or crash.

It would take them a couple of days to reach the Northern border of the forest and it pleased the group that they could walk through the forest without fear of the Shadow – Legolas had particularly looked forward to being able to wander through his homeland again in a day of peace. For now, he was happier heading North than South, as he had already seen much of the damage and destruction there from Dol Gulder when he had returned and the area north of the Palace was less scathed, though it was by no means untouched – evil had spread like a virus throughout the entirety of the forest. But although the forest was still touched with dark shadows of its tortured past, the trees were greener now and sunlight lit patches of the woodland floor.

All was quiet as they walked deeper into the forest and they drew further away from the shelter of the Palace – the air was still and the only sound that could be heard was the occasional faint rippling sound of the fast-flowing forest river far behind them. After a few hours of walking, the ground began to rise a little and after a while, the eyes of the Elves could see tips of white through the trees, glinting in the sunlight, far off in the distance; for to the West lay the Misty Mountains, of which Legolas had memories of riding through them on his way to Rivendell, and harsher ones and climbing over them and cruel Caradhras with the Fellowship. To their right (through it could often not be seen through the dense forest) was Erebor the Lonely Mountain, and beyond him the Iron Hills stood tall, their vast grey heights just looming over the tips of the trees.

Although none of them ever tired (that is not the way of the Elves), some of the group were more accustomed to walking long distances than others – Legolas often found himself wandering further ahead, whilst Gornon and the scholars, often deep in thought and conversation amongst themselves, sometimes lagged behind. But they were in no hurry, so this bothered the Prince little.

By the end of their first day they had covered quite some distance and only rested a little that night to enjoy the thousands of countless stars hanging above their heads. Whilst they were seated together, some of the group took the opportunity to ask Legolas for tales of his adventures and songs he had heard, and he told them of the Fellowship and some of the more beautiful places he had seen, but of the Quest itself he recounted little, for few had the taste of stories of battle and war anymore and some tales stirred painful memories. They thanked Elbereth, Queen of Heaven, for a blessed journey and as the sun rose the next morning, they were on their way again.

The second day of travelling began very much the same as the first, but in the afternoon they stumbled upon something they did not expect. They come to an area where the trees were less numerous and a not too large clearing was formed. As the group gathered and stopped for a moment, they saw that the grass did not grow so well here, there were no flowers or plants of any kind and only tortured stumps remained of where once trees had clearly grown. It was clear to the group that this was where a party of Orcs had come to pillage the forest in the days when such acts of violence and destruction were not uncommon. Although most attacks came from Dol Gulder in the South, threats from the North were not unheard of, and scouts had to be sent to eradicate them. The party were deeply saddened to see this – no heart went unmoved by what they saw and each of them stood silent.

Anié could not see the damage that lay before her, but as she lay her hand against a nearby tree, she felt a deep gash where a blade had struck the bark and left its mark in its flesh, and she realised where they were and why they had all stopped. As she stood there, a thought suddenly dawned on her: this was the first time she had been on a battlefield – or indeed, outside of the Palace – since she had been so horribly injured and lost her sight. Memories of that dreadful battle and thoughts of what the men who had fought where they now stood had suffered and gone through flooded her mind and a sudden horror came over her. Her heart wept and she shook where she stood. Legolas saw her distress and taking her by the hand, he gently led her away. The rest of them followed.

There were no stars that night, only an immeasurable layer of cloud that spread like a blanket across the sky, from which light but consistent rain fell all night. The cool breeze that accompanied it did not hinder any sleep any of them chose to take, only the thought of all their friends and compatriots who had fallen, never again to witness a day of peace. Anié stayed with Legolas that night and lay close beside him – without saying a word, both were greatly glad for each others' company.

Fortunately by the next morning the skies had cleared and a clear dawn awaited them. By midday of the third day, the trees had begun fading out in multitude and they briefly entered a more open land between stone and bark. It was not long before they said goodbye to the forest altogether and the dark shade of the thick trees and entered the empty silent openness. There was nothing to see and nothing interesting to note, so the group just kept on walking. They walked through the night and by late afternoon of the next day they had reached the feet of the mountains.

Although none of them had any need for sleep as Mortals do, they set up camp for the night – no-one felt in the mood to carry on any further. A strange feeling had come over the company. Nobody spoke, each in their own thoughts. They all knew what they had come here to do, but there were mixed emotions amongst the group; the scholars and council members had been speaking secretly together and were individually beginning to wonder whether their plan, which they were all so very excited about at first, would actually succeed, especially considering their success depended very much on their Prince who had not been brimming with enthusiasm or explicit confidence (though Gornon has always quick to defend the aim of their mission, the return of their King, Thranduil). Legolas had remained very quiet since their departure and although he had said nothing to the others, little by little he was becoming more troubled the more he thought over the mission in his mind with each day that passed. Anié stayed close to Legolas and said nothing, simply clinging to her loved-one so he knew she was there.

The mountains loomed over them.


	7. Chapter 7

The party for the most part had rested in peace that night and they rose the next morning to the cloudy new day. Early in the morning Legolas woke with a start, disturbing Anié as he did so. She asked what had woken him but he would not say.

They had not brought many supplies with them but they shared what waybread they had for sustenance and they each had a sip of Legolas' flask of Mirkwood wine to remind them of home and to lighten their spirits, though it was taken with a hint of sadness; in the past age Mirkwood was renowned for its splendid wine – its dark red colour reflected the great thickness of the forest and its rich taste was unmatched – but the vineyards were long since gone and such delicacies had now become quite rare in the Palace.

Today they would head north-east through the Mountains towards the Withered Heath. The mountains were high and ruddy but they would not be climbing to its summits, nor would they be traversing the thickness of the range – the Grey Mountains break off from the northern tip of the Misty Mountains, splitting at Mount Gundabad, and its arm lies westward. The peaks remain clumped together for some leagues before they split down the middle and branch off into two separate fingers of hills. It would be into the very western end of this split where the mountains almost disappeared entirely that the group would be heading.

Some way away from them at the feet of one of the mountains, hidden by rock, was a little house that any unobservant passer-by would probably not have noticed. No-one knew exactly who the house belonged to or how long it had been there – all anyone knew was that the inhabitant was male, small in stature, was rarely seen and his species was unknown – but he posed no threat to the Palace or to Mirkwood, so the Elves paid no attention to him.

Up into the hills they climbed, for a while higher, then more further along as they travelled more to the East. The sun shone in the sky above them but the large slabs and pinnacles of rock threw long dark shadows on the floor before them. The Elves began to miss the colour that their forest home had provided; the rocks were white and grey and plain as the only colour that accompanied them now was the blue of the sky when the clouds moved away, which was rare with the low gentle wind. The ground was uneven and although this disturbed not the natural balance and footfall of the walkers, they much preferred the smooth leafy forest floor they normally walked. Anié above all required Legolas' assistance through the stony maze – she was conscious that Gornon was behind her and did not wish to trip and fall in front of him. The days were bleak and the nights were dark. Dust hung in the air and not a bird or any other sound could be heard or seen for miles around. Thus were the conditions through which for two days the party pressed on.

On one point, a route opened up before them which was straighter and much smoother than the ground they had been used to, so Anié began to walk ahead of the party by herself. Seizing his opportunity to talk to Legolas alone, Gornon moved forward.

"Would you permit me to speak to you alone, my Prince?" enquired Gornon.

"You may speak" responded Legolas politely.

"Thank you, my Prince…I was wondering if I might enquire into your feelings towards this mission?"

"I'm not sure I follow" replied the Prince.

"Well, forgive me for speaking so boldly, but the Prince does not seem overly enthusiastic about the aim of our quest. Although you have been gracious enough to accept our plan and help see it through, you almost do not seem happy about it and we fear we may be acting against your Highness' wishes – am I correct in saying so?"

"Not at all" Legolas replied, "I am as excited and keen to bring my Father back to rule as any of you. My only concern is that hope has not been ill-placed in me to achieve what we seek".

"It is a great task to lay upon another's shoulders, I agree" replied Gornon, in an unexpectedly supportive manner (yet slightly uncomfortable all the same), "but we would not ask it of you if we did not think you were capable, and I am glad to hear that you are one with us. All of the Councillors with you here are of one mind – you will lead us to our goal and we shall return home with a King, victorious!"

Gornon grinned as he finished – he was clearly not going to accept any margin for error or any talk that they may not succeed. Legolas gave a courteous smile in return, but he kept those words in his mind as they walked and thought about them deeply, as they seemed somehow a little contradictory.

Later that evening, Anié found Legolas (eventually, after resorting to calling out his name and following his voice) in a particularly contemplative mood:

"Would you not rather sit with the others?" she asked gently.

Legolas only shook his head in response, but remembering that Anié would not see such a gesture, he said quietly "No, I shall stay here".

He took her hand and lightly kissed her knuckles:

"I fear we are doomed to failure" he said honestly.

Sitting down next to him, Anié listened carefully. The pair spoke low so that the ears of Gornon would not hear:

"Who am I to speak with the Valar themselves? I am not worthy to do so. These councillors did not feel I can be King and yet they expect me to have the power to deal with the Gods themselves - how do I know if I can even summon them to us, let alone speak with them, and what if I cannot offer what they ask for in return? I do not wish to let my people down and yet what if this is a hope that is false?"

Anié held his hand tightly: "No-one knows what we will find in the Withered Heath and no-one truly knows what the outcome will be, but their hope in you has not been ill-placed, it has been rekindled, just like Beridhren said. If we return with Thranduil, then we have succeeded here; if we do not…we do not, that is not a failure. Mirkwood will still have its Prince".

"But a Prince and nothing more" replied Legolas downheartedly, "not the King they had hoped for, or ever such a King".

"That's not true, you would make a splendid King!" Anié protested.

"I do not say that solely because you are my husband, I truly mean it; you said yourself that they are "my people" and rightly so - the people love you and you have just as much skill and experience as your Father had".

When Legolas did not reply, Anié asked: "Do you truly believe you could not rule as King in your Father's stead?"

Silence fell on the pair. Anié waited for a response, but none came – Legolas remained still and did not know how to answer.

Anié exhaled in a mixture of disappointment and disbelief: "You think too low of yourself, my love. No doubt your friend Aragorn of Gondor, of whom you spoke so highly, felt the same way when his destiny dawned, yet draw on his strength and achievement coming from no royal heritage at all! One could never deny that your Father was a great man, but you would be a new leader of a new age".

Then she had a dreadful thought: she didn't want Legolas or anyone else to think that she may be pressuring Legolas into this role for her own personal gain – she would become Queen or at least Princess after all. But she wasn't looking for any social advancement, she wasn't looking for anything for herself at all in fact, only what was right and best for Legolas. Whatever Legolas chose, she would be content, so long as she could remain with him always.

"Legolas, I will not push you to one decision or another, whatever you decide will be for the best and I will stand with you, we all will; and besides, should they come, speaking with the Valar is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, even for the Elves, so maybe there is no harm in taking it while we have the chance?"

Another moment of silence passed over them. Anié found she could easily (and truthfully) bestow her love with compliments regarding his qualities, but otherwise she did not really know what to say – she understood her love's concerns completely and did not believe any words she could utter would dispel his fears completely, she could only do her best.

Fortunately, before awkwardness had a chance to fall, Legolas' words filled the gloom and they were words, deep and honest, which interested Anié deeply:

"Last night, when I awoke and startled you…I saw my father in a dream. It was not a pleasant dream, nor was it a nightmare, but…I saw his face. He looked as though he may ask something of me, but he did not speak or utter a word, he just – looked at me, his eyes unmoving. And he wouldn't stop. What does it mean?"

"I do not know" replied Anié with open honesty.

"Perhaps we shall find out at the Heath".

Sensing that Legolas was not in a talking mood and needed time alone to think, she stood for a moment and then turned to leave, but stopped when she felt Legolas suddenly clasp her hand:

"Stay with me" he asked tenderly.

Anié's words had struck a chord within Legolas, somewhere deep down that he could not describe. In that moment it suddenly dawned on him what had been troubling him and for the rest of the night he asked himself this question: which is more important - to cherish the brief and temporary present, or maintain the treasures of the past, and which is harder to lose?

He did not sleep that night as some of the others did. Instead he stayed awake under the stars reminiscing in his mind about his father, the memories he had of his father and King before he left for the fateful Ring quest. Having lived so long, and as a Prince and a soldier, it was no simple task remembering his childhood, his world seemed so different then and it seemed indeed so long ago since he was a care-free elfling – his father teaching him the ways of the world and the behaviours of the court, being scolded when he did not behave accordingly, learning to fight, returning from his first fight in the Mirkwood forest, bidding his father farewell to leave for Rivendell…the last time he would see him alive. He recalled in his mind and heart his father's qualities and those which were harder to love, and as sheets of cloud drifted across a dark expanse only occasionally revealing pockets of stars to light the sky above him, he contemplated his thoughts and memories carefully whilst pondering deeply over what fate and his own actions might bring the next day.


	8. Chapter 8

The mountains seemed to stretch on for eternity to the travelling Elves - just as the trees did in the forest of Mirkwood to any visitor of that land – and in their hearts they grew weary of the blades of sheer rock and the endless gravel tracks, but eventually after a week or so of walking (they did not keep an exact count of days, though they reckoned it cannot have been much more than a week) the rocks before them seemed to almost fade out completely and the land long since abandoned though not necessarily untouched widened out quite dramatically. A round open plain was nestled between the two stretches of the Grey Mountains. There was nothing particular to note, nothing to describe, just an open wasteland – north of the Grey Mountains were nothing but wastelands and from where they stood the horizon beheld nothing but endless open plains with the Iron Hills just visible way off in the distance.

The Withered Heath was a sad and dreary place, yet empty and barren through it was, there was a strange beauty about it – you could not strictly see it but it was there. It was as if this place had a great or perhaps terrible history that left scars and memories deep under the surface where no-one could ever more touch them.

The group descended from the stony hills and made their way down to the seemingly endless plain of empty earth, looking for a clear sign as to the exact location of the sacred area where they could summon the Valar. As the mountains faded away on either side of them, the horizon seemed to stretch on forever, unknown lands which none amongst them had walked or seen; there was never any need to go so far North, that was desolate territory. The grass was short and coarse and yellow - it felt as though nothing at all could grow here – and the ground was strangely uneven beneath their feet. It was a purely natural place, though it was missing something – trees, animals, plant life. Why would such a dead gloomy place be chosen as a sacred place of the Valar?

They gathered as a group and they all looked around them – the scholars and councillors poured over the documents and information they had brought him them for some clues or guidance, but no-one knew exactly what they were looking for; this part of the journey had been almost impossible to plan for in advance.

"So…here we are" stated Gornon.

"Now we are here, what are we looking for?" asked Legolas.

"We…aren't exactly sure, my Prince" stuttered one of the scholars.

"The exact sacred location may be hidden somewhere, or perhaps underground?"

"_Not exactly sure_?" repeated Gornon scornfully.

"You are supposed to be learned scholars – how are we going to find this place if you are _not exactly sure_?"

"The land called the Withered Heath covers more than what we can see here" Legolas intervened, trying to remain level-headed, since they had made such efforts to travel to this place. "We shall search all around. If you are sure that this is the place, then we shall find what we have come for".

Legolas surveyed their surroundings with his keen eyes. Gornon, although unimpressed with the scholars' uncertainty, summoned his determination and thought hard for the answer to their riddle. They each other moved, some more cautiously than others, in different directions. The scholars themselves debated together in hushed voices and tried not to show too evidently their complete bafflement – how _can_ you find something that cannot be seen?

Time passed and the group were none the wiser. They looked to the skies, they debated aloud to one another, they looked all around, and they looked back the way they had come. Perhaps they were call out to the Valar to reveal themselves? That sounded too crude. Perhaps they had already passed it when they travelling through the mountains? But none of them fancied retracing their steps the way they had come. All in all, the group became as irritated by the whole expedition as they were perplexed.

Legolas was not much of a team player and walked off on his own. Very much like his father, he trusted his own instincts and thought carefully to himself about the problem in hand:

"It is something – or somewhere – that cannot be _seen_. Perhaps it can felt?"

He crouched down and felt the ground with his fingertips. The earth was hard, as if it had seen no rain for centuries and nothing could possibly grow through it. Although there was some grassy it was hard and dusty and the sun glaring down directly above it maintained its condition. Legolas was often surprised how the terrain could change so dramatically over such a relatively short distance from his forest homeland. More importantly he could feel nothing extraordinary or particular, and he didn't feel prepared to survey the entire ground surface area on his hands and knees.

He could hear the others searching – voices called out questioning what sort of… 'thing' they were looking for, arguing over details of Valar history and some audible mutter about how Anié should know, since she was allegedly the one person in the group who could find it, whatever _it_ was.

Before Legolas could consider any further course of action towards their elusive goal (and promptly dismiss it as ridiculous), a voice cried out to them from in the distance. It was simply one word in the Elvish language but it caught everybody's attention not only because it was loud, but also because it was female, meaning it must be Anié.

They all followed her cry some way further off and found her standing in the centre of a plain. Apart from the sparse separation of rugged stone pillars surrounding them some way off there was nothing underneath them or nearby but emptiness and grass. It grew where they now stood with surprisingly green and Anié stood like a stone monument, her eyes gazing onto nothing.

Legolas came closest to her: "What is it?"

"It is here" she replied.

The others looked around. There was no obvious sign that this was the place they sought.

"How can you be so sure?" one of the scholars asked.

Anié's head turned in the direction of the voice: "Can you not feel it?" she enquired.

Sensing a lack of agreement, she expanded: "There is something…different here. I do not know _what_ I feel, but this place is special. We have walked for days through forest and rock-land, lifeless, war-torn and silent, and yet here the breeze blows fresh and soft against the skin, soft grass grows through the hard earth. It is untouched by evil".

The name Withered Heath was not inaccurate, but it did perhaps serve as an injustice: unlike Mirkwood and other western lands, there were no burnt trees, tragic losses or scars of war. Legolas was slowly beginning to understand.

"She sees what we with eyes do not".

The pair of scholars whispered to each other: "With the mind's eye…"

Without a word they all agreed. They had arrived.


	9. Chapter 9

Despite all their combined knowledge and experience, not the Prince of the Realm nor the learned scholars, none of them knew what to expect at this point in their journey. Whether there would be a dramatic event with light and thunder, or whether a sincere plea or summons was required, the subject had invoked much thought with no certain answer. All that Legolas could tell when he had a moment to recollect his thoughts after the event was that they simply knew. The company, without expressing a word to each other, felt suddenly aware of their own presence, such as when one trespasses where one should not be or is moving through a perfectly quiet place. They believed themselves to be, with regards to the Valar and in every respect, _heard_.

In that moment there was a flap in the wind and the heads of those present turned instantly to their left where a bird had landed on a rock some way away from them. Its wingspan opened impressively as it landed and its beady eyes studied them closely, as they looked up in awe at its majestic presence. It was a pristine, beautiful creature and not one that had ever been seen so close to the forest of Mirkwood in all the years of Thranduil's reign.

"An eagle!" cried the scholar. "The symbol of Manwë!"

The scholars fell their knees, whilst the rest of the group placed their hands respectfully on their breasts or merely gazed at the rare sight. Though no-one had said it, it appeared that Legolas was leader of the expedition and so it was up to him to state their request. Anié squeezed Legolas' hand before it slipped thoughtlessly to his side as he stepped forward before the great bird. He stopped midway and bowed his head. The bird lowered its head towards him. The group behind the Prince stood silent.

"_Ai Aran Einior, __êl síla nan lû e-govaded vín_"

(Hail Elder King, a star shines on the occasion of our meeting)

In response, Legolas heard the voice of Manwë in his head:

"I thank you for your kind words, Legolas son of Greenwood. You have served this land greatly against the powers of evil, your actions merit reward. We have seen the coming of your company and I have come on behalf of the Valar to hear your prayer. Why come you to this place to seek us?"

"Mighty Lord of Middle-Earth, it is true that we have fought to turn the tides of evil. Each of us that come before you have fought valiantly against the Enemy. My people stood strong to protect this land and in honour of the Valar who gave us such a gift. Many paid the ultimate sacrifice - those who were not meant to die gave their lives so that others may live".

"We are aware of the plight of the people of Mirkwood" the spirit-eagle replied, "as well as those of other lands. We saw your stands against evil".

"We did so, not seeking reward or glory, but if I may be so bold to approach one of the Mighty Valar, in sight of renewing our land and leaving the people of Middle-Earth with life that grows and is green ere we finally depart I have one request that I would wish".

"Name it, but note Prince, only one wish may be granted" the eagle stated.

Legolas dropped reverently to his knees:

"O gracious Commander of the Winds and King of the Sky and all those holy Valar who may hear - Queen of the Stars, Lord of the Sea and Masters of all things that grow – I would restore all those who were lost were it within my power, but there is one precious in my heart and loved by our people who would restore our forest to its former glory, for those who remain and for those who may inhabit it in generations to come. Therefore I ask of you…"

The words of his request and the reason for their journey should have flowed easily from his mouth. But he stopped. As if a hand with extended palm came down to stop him or a final plea to hesitate cried out from some far corner of his mind, for a moment he said nothing. Without knowing why, he looked behind him.

The speech between the Valar and the Prince was heard by them alone, so the group huddled together behind him none the wiser, watching and waiting. The scholars stood fixed with looks of awe, Anié simply stood still, her hands clasped together, and the councillors and advisors bore an overwhelming sense of desperate hope for the return of Thranduil. None more so was this clear than on the face of Gornon, who could barely contain himself.

Legolas studied them all and he felt as though he was floating above the land and time, so he could see everything that had occurred, like a huge tapestry spanning the ages in immaculate and dreadful detail; the defence of his realm from when he was a young Elfling to watching it decay and overrun with creatures, serving his Father as both Prince and warrior, standing along friends and fellow fighters to clear his homeland of the malice that threatened their peaceful existence; the moment in Rivendell when he joined the Fellowship to destroy the One Ring in Mordor, everything the Quest stood for, fighting with friends against a seemingly impossible evil and overwhelming odds, every moment thinking of his kingdom, his father's rule and legacy, the friends he left behind, the people he felt obliged to protect; and now, with evil defeated, the One Ring gone, Sauron overthrown and the remains of his army utterly destroyed save for the scars on the land and the memories that remained… Legolas could see it all in his mind, laid out before him.

Now they had journeyed once more, across terrains and through their own personal battles, to come to this point, this moment. It forced Legolas to ask himself the question: what now was he fighting for? Most of his 'people' had left these shores and many more would surely follow. Those that remained, like himself for the moment, deserved a home, a place of peace and tranquillity where they could feel no longer threatened. The forest would grow again with the stain of Dol Guldur vanquished, with or without his help, but only with the presence of the Elves would it ever begin to grow again. That was his task, to nurture the forest as he had done in Ithilien to create a haven in honour of the Elves and to encourage those who dwelt there to love and care for it. That was _his _task – his father had had his own.

Thranduil may never have seen what he had achieved in days of peace, but he made his sacrifice in full knowledge of this fact. Besides, you may bring back the body but the mind and spirit cannot be replaced. He fell for his people. His memory would live forever on with honour. Legolas' duty now was to his home and his people, not those he had lost but to those that still lived.

Legolas focused on the group once more, his thoughts clearer now and his decision made, and after what seemed like an eternity he turned away from them and back to the eagle who had respected his pause. He now spoke aloud for all to hear. His voice was less like a Prince now, but more honest:

"Gods of all Middle-Earth, you know my heart and see my thoughts. I know what my people would have me ask of you, and yet I see now … I … if I may ask anything of you, I would ask for only one thing…"

The silence was palpable. The eagle's eyes never lost their focus on the humbled Prince. Legolas, who had barely looked at the Eagle whilst speaking, finally raised his head and spoke as one with clear mind and whole heart:

"I would ask you to grant my love her sight back".

Legolas dared not turn around and to know their reactions he did not need to. There were many gasps behind him, he knew Anié would not have expected it and he could just imagine the loathsome glare burning into the back of his head from the eyes of Gornon. The Prince kept his eyes fixed on the eagle and begged in his heart that his prayer would be answered.

"I see the conflict in your heart" the great eagle replied. "For those who have suffered great loss, sight of their true goals can be faded and warped by the mists of grief.

Yet I believe you have chosen wisely, Prince. Since the love between you is true, the power of the Valar shall grant your wish. The King before you shall dwell in peace in the Halls of Mandos and shall be reunited with those he too had lost".

With the promise that his Father would be at rest as was his right, a sense of peace washed over the Prince. He took a breath, rose to his feet and turned to the group, his eyes for the moment seeking one person only.

All eyes stared at the Prince in shock and disbelief – he had not had a chance to explain himself to them yet – yet one who had only heard rather than seen stood motionless, eyes empty but mouth agape. He called her name and she walked towards the sound of his voice as though in a trance. As she came near, he extended his arm and took her hand in his own.

Knowing now where he was, she turned to face him:

"Legolas…your father?" she tried to ask, amazed as his change in decision.

"You were right all along, Anié" Legolas replied, looking deeply into her face with love.

"I have felt torn since my return home, but now I see clearly. I will never be the King my father was. But I do not think I am meant to be. My father's war is over and now I must care for those who remain. I would love to see him again, but we will meet over the Sea one day".

"Legolas…" she said, her voice brimming with pride. "I am so proud of you. My King".

The pair smiled.

"You don't have to do this for me" she said sincerely. "I am glad enough to have my life".

"No, Anié" he replied now with authority, but still also with love, "my duty now is to care for my people who still remain here. You are under my care and you need not be vulnerable any more".

At that moment, the eagle rustled its feathers and stretched its wings, a sign which Legolas took to mean that the spirit-bird would not wait forever. The Prince motioned Anié forwards and she walked tentatively. She felt suddenly alone without Legolas by her side, not knowing where she was going, where to stop or what was going to happen next.

She walked what felt to her like a long stretch but was in fact only a few steps when the great bird rustled its wing-feathers with such a noise that it frightened the fragile Anié and she stopped. The bird then came down elegantly from its rock perch and descended with a flap before Anié's feet. Feeling the rush of wind against her and hearing the bird's movements, Anié dropped gently to her knees in front of the bird. Her hands quivered.

The eagle's sharp talons gripped the dry ground. Magnificently the bird leant forward and touched heads with Anié. The bird's eyes fell shut and the pair remained motionless. A stillness passed between them. In truth Anié was afraid and she felt a sensation that she could not describe but there was no pain, only the memory of how her injury occurred would remain.

Time seemed to both stop and fly – no-one could guess how long the two stayed so, but soon the eagle suddenly flapped its enormous wings vigorously, the air propelled from them figuratively cleansing Anié's face. Then without a sound it turned on its talons, took off into the air and disappeared over the mountains into the horizon. Anié remained on her knees, unsure what to do and frightened to discover. The world was still dark to her, as she still wore the bandage.

Slowly, when she could no longer hear the beating of the eagle's wings, she rose to her feet and turned around. Filled with a sense of anxiousness and anticipation, Legolas moved towards her and cautiously began removing the bandage from around her head. Layer after layer after layer tumbled through his fingers to the floor until eventually there was only a layer or two left. The moment of truth.

He unwound the final layer and looked upon her, astonished. She had described herself after the injury as having nothing left but empty eye sockets, to the extent that she would be frightening to look at. Now she was just as Legolas remembered her – her ever-young, beautiful face, no cuts or scalds but complete with brows and eyelids, which were shut.

Very slowly, almost as if she was remembering how, her eyelashes fluttered, her lids twitched and her fleshy gates opened to show whole, shining blue-green eyes. It took a moment to believe it was real, but the pair were relieved and joyful.

"I can see…" she muttered to herself, before proclaiming ecstatically, "I can see, Legolas! I CAN SEE!"

The world seemed very bright after so long in darkness but that didn't matter for now; she could see colours and lights and shapes…it would have been overwhelming were she not so happy. She laughed and praised the Valar. The Prince, whilst nonetheless amazed, retained a regal composition.

"The Valar have blessed us" he proclaimed, speaking both to Anié and the group standing behind them.

"I stand before you now as one whose eyes, like Anié's, have been opened. Our home in this age is not the home of the last; we have a Greenwood now, it shall be no longer a dark forest with a southern shadow. My father's war – the war we all stood beside him to fight – is over. The Elves are now in the winter of their years on this earth, but our people shall not be abandoned to feel its cold bite.

If I am to be Greenwood's next King, I will take his sceptre with the responsibility of no more protecting my people from evil, but to encourage them to immerge from the darkness and to plant the seeds for those who will come after us; not to arm them for battle, but to care for their needs. We will cleanse any scourge that remains in our forest and we will return our homeland to its former glory, in memory of my father and all those who fell defending it. That is my promise and pledge to you, whilst I yet remain on this earth".

The faces of those who heard him were not easy to read. The guards, ever loyal to the royal bloodline, stood to attention and saluted their new King. For the others there were many mixed responses: most were still astonished at all that they had seen. As they listened to his words, their faces changed. Some were evidently disappointed that they had ultimately failed their task in bringing back their old King, for none knew what the future would hold for the Northern Woodland Realm and those who lived within it, but others were filled with hope and took heart – their world had changed, but there would be a home for them whether they decided to sail or to remain. One by one, joined by Anié and Legolas they turned back the way they had come to begin their journey home. Deep in their own thoughts, no-one spoke; they all had their own choices to make.

One who did not move was Gornon. He stood still, arms fixed to his sides and his clenched fists shaking with fury. His eyes glared at the Prince and his beloved. His blood boiled. He felt betrayed – their one chance to be reunited with the one leader Gornon believed could triumph over evil and restore their home to its full glory, their one opportunity, and all their hopes had been given away to some woman, by the King's own son? What treachery and treason was this? There was no future for Mirkwood now, nothing left without its rightful King. Legolas was but a young boy in his eyes, whom he remembered being born and watching him grow. He could never be such a King; in Thranduil's name Gornon would not see it…

Legolas had not noticed at first that Gornon had not joined them, nor did he know just how livid the loyal advisor was or the thoughts behind his actions that would soon occur, so Legolas put what followed down to sheer madness. All Legolas heard was a roar of anger and when he turned to see where the sound had come from, he saw – though only for a split second - Gornon charging towards him, sword drawn.

Fortunately, at that moment Anié had turned before Legolas did to take a final view of the both desolate yet miraculous terrain. As she did so, now being able to see she witnessed Gornon draw his sword and commence running. The guards were not close enough to reach him and Legolas was as yet unaware of his danger. In a second of horror, she realised that Gornon was aiming for Legolas and knew she had to act.

There was no time to think. With a cry Anié pushed Legolas in the side and forced him out of the way. As she did so, Gornon lunged forward. His face was twisted with fury, his mouth seething with disgust and hatred. His sword pierced the spot where only moments before, Legolas had stood. Anié now stood in her lover's place, and neither she nor Gornon moved.

Legolas turned, blade in hand, to see them both still as stone. Anié's eyes gazed aimlessly into the distance and Gornon's, now rid of their initial fire, stared at what he had done. His blade was embedded deep into Anié's flesh, but not so much so that she was pierced right through. Now it was Legolas' turn to cry out in dismay and he rose his own blade to strike. In his sudden fear of the new King's wrath, Gornon withdraw his sword, turned and fled. Some of the guards followed him at first, but his fate is unknown and he was never again seen in Middle Earth. He was not, however, Legolas' primary concern.

In a swift movement, Legolas sheathed his weapon and caught Anié in his arms before she fell to the ground. Her legs felt suddenly weak, yet her hand felt warm as she placed it over her abdomen. Foolishly she looked down to see her hand coated in dark blood. She tried to focus on breathing and not giving in to the pain that would soon encapsulate any rational thought…

Legolas on the other hand was doing his best not to panic. She couldn't be taken from him, not now, not after all they had done...not now, not ever…there must be something they could do! He placed his own hands over her own to cover the wound and some of the group who were not stunned into stillness provided cloaks and clean fabrics to act as make-shift bandages.

He spoke to her constantly, encouraging her to stay awake and to relax as best she could. She did her best but even with their best efforts she had lost much blood, they had no healer with them and there was no help for miles around.

Legolas had a thought. It was a long shot but he was desperate. He cried out in a loud voice:

"Manwë! Valar of _Eru_! I beg you hear my prayer! You were gracious enough to renew her sight. Please, the anger of one man should not rid her of her life. I beg of you to heal her wounds. Please save her!"

After a moment of gut-wrenching silence, the spirit-eagle's voice resounded a reply in Legolas' mind which filled him with a cold fear:

"Only one request. You have gifts you do not know you have".

Legolas held onto Anié tightly and begged her to remain conscious. Would her have asked for her sight back if he knew the price was her life?


	10. Chapter 10

None among them were perfect individuals but if anyone ever accuses Anié of attention-seeking or of being over-demanding, Legolas thought, he will have to strangle them. After a tense hour of careful monitoring and assessment, Anié insisted that her initial weakness was mostly the shock of the incident and that she had been very lucky not to be more seriously hurt. She said the wound was deep but bearable and that she did not wish to delay their journey home any longer.

With her past experience helping in the healing houses, she assisted them in making a sustainable bandage and cautiously – much to Legolas' concern – rose to her feet. They had no horses and home was their nearest point for help. They had no choice but to walk.

Back out of the Withered Heath they came, walking endlessly through desolate, dusty, dry wasteland. It seemed a strange location for such an extraordinary event to have taken place, but they did not think of it and moved on step by step as though possessed. The scholars looked back on their journey in their minds and pondered on what they had achieved and what their work would be once they returned to the palace – for those who study and learn, work is never completed, there is always more. The guards kept an eye out for Gornon in case he reappeared (which he didn't) but otherwise felt privileged to have witnessed what they had and obliged to protect their new leader. Or rather, they thought nothing and kept their minds focused on their surroundings – they were in charge of protecting the group, after all.

The soon-to-be-King should have had many things on his mind regarding his new responsibilities and position, and it wasn't that he gave them no consideration, but he could not distract himself for the moment from Anié's inevitable suffering. No matter how often she denied it or how much she tried to walk normally to prove she could complete the journey, of course she was pain, of course she was weakened, she couldn't _not_ be. One of her major flaws was a fear of being a burden to others. She also did not want to be the centre of this tale; she had played her part, but this journey was about Legolas.

Above all, she revelled in her greatest asset yet – her sight. It was not like she had never seen before; being able to see was not a new experience, but she had lived in the darkness for years since the battle and her gratitude for having her independence re-granted and the orc's malicious work undone made everything glisten and gleam. The colours seemed richer than she remembered, the light a little brighter, and every sensation was now accompanied by a sight that completed the memory: with the warmth of the sun was the glorious sunshine brightening the road before them (it was in fact only light sunshine often covered by clouds, but it seemed more wonderful to Anié), when the wind blew she could see the leaves rustle in the trees and the grass tremble, she could wash her hands in cool water and see its deep blue or river green. At the moment it was hardly so glamorous, the dust she could smell was the dust that she could see, but she was thankful nonetheless.

She could also appreciate the journey more: she could avoid plant-life that she would otherwise have thoughtlessly trodden on, she could prepare for when their path went up or descended, she could judge height and depth and no longer needed to position her next step based on the word of mouth from another. All in all, it was a lot easier to walk!

Though she could only walk and could not skip or run as she felt she'd like to, she was as delighted as an excited child and grinned at everything, almost oblivious of any plight or trouble. Legolas watched her as she walked, sometimes by his side sometimes ahead, and feared in his heart: they had several days walk ahead of them and the terrain would get no easier.

The first day of their return back to Greenwood passed smoothly. The walk itself was dull and the ambiance was tense and un-cheerful as their previous burst of gladness and astonishment began to fade, but it was also uneventful which they were grateful for in their hearts. It was very early the next morning, before dawn, when they halted for a brief rest. They drank what little they had, rested their limbs and planned the ideal route for the following day. They were also aware that Anié had shown great strength to walk so far wounded without a complaint, and she had to admit that tiredness was creeping up on her. (In hindsight, Legolas felt he had shown great strength to resist asking how she was feeling at every possible moment). However, she was weary in body rather than heart and she sat happily at the foot of a large rock, staring up into the clear sky where she could gaze into the eternal blanket of twinkling stars in the dark. Their lights reflected in her eyes and she felt at peace. Despite her injury, Legolas thought she had never looked more beautiful.

As the sun rose they set off again, now approaching the mountains and starting to climb. Once more they would not be climbing to its summits and instead traversing the precarious, smooth boulders. The terrain became difficult for the injured member of the party, who struggled on regardless, whilst the others looked worryingly to the sky. As the day drew on, the weather became worse. Dark ominous clouds moved across the sky – they thought it may rain, but none fell, though Anié was still saddened that there would be no stars tonight. The wind blew stronger and harsher and the chill in the air meant that they could no longer enjoy the sun's warmth. It hid high in the sky above the clouds – it knew what was coming.

It seemed that day that everything changed for the company in every respect: both weather and the terrain had changed for the worse, any joy from the Withered Heath had all been spent and though none complained openly, they felt they would only be glad again once they left these forsaken mountains.

For this reason, again restricted to individual thought only, some of the group became somewhat aggravated by their lack of progress. They could only move so fast on this terrain, the endless peaks of grey made the time drag, and they could progress so far without leaving Anié behind, whose injury forbade her from climbing as swiftly as the others could. Legolas kept the group together as best he could and in high spirits, but nothing he could say would resolve the situation or their inner conflicts.

They rested again that evening in the shelter of some rocks – they would not normally have done, especially with such a will to go home, but it had become clear that Anié could not carry on without a pause. She had lagged behind all day with only a few kind councillors to keep her company, and she looked significantly paler.

Legolas and one of the guards changed Anié's bandages. Upon inspection it turned out that the wound was struggling to heal whilst Anié was constantly moving. The wound was also deeper than they first feared – the blade had pierced her at an angle, so although the wound at skin level appeared straight, the deep purple-black bruising suggested otherwise. They re-applied a clean section of bandage – they had no other supplies with them, though one of the councillors did offer his cloak, which Anié refused on the grounds that it was too valuable to stain – and made her as comfortable as they could. They all knew she was struggling more than most.

It was, in fact, a couple of the guards who had noticed Anié's struggle and suggested they halted for the night whilst they went ahead to check for any signs of Orcs or danger. They said this purely as a ruse (understood by the Prince) to allow Anié to rest a while. However they had no idea how close they were to the truth of what awaited them the following day.


	11. Chapter 11

The guards returned after an hour with no news. After reporting back to the Prince, they noticed that Anié had fallen in a deep sleep and Legolas had told them all to rest while they could and recover their spirits, so as not to disturb Anié. It was still dark when Anié stirred – and she looked little better for her rest - but it was not long until the sky turned a pinkish-orange and they were off again.

They had rested in a low cross-wind and they moved off to the same breeze. The weather was no better than the day before minus the strong wind, but their minds seemed better and the path less tedious. They kept moving, every step bringing them closer to home.

The guards led the way in pairs with Legolas following behind or amongst them. Behind him were the group of councillors and scholars and finally Anié somewhere in the midst, doing her best to keep up with their pace. Her method of perseverance for the day was distraction, so she engaged some of the scholars in conversation about anything they could talk about freely. As the dawn colours faded and the pale grey returned to the cloudy sky, the company trailed on through the rocks of the mountains.

Suddenly a few of the guards stopped. They listened intently and their eyes followed any snatch of sound. Legolas instantly noticed their change in character and moved towards them.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It sounded like something moved through the wind" one replied.

Legolas too stopped and listened, though he heard nothing. Then without warning, by the time they all heard the sound, a black arrow made of poor wood and scrap metal had appeared in the sky and pierced one of the guards through the back of the neck. He fell to the ground, dead.

The remaining guards looked up and saw a small swarm of Orcs staring back at them. They were about fifteen in number, which was no army compared to the battles they had fought, but it was nonetheless a dangerous number against so few. Fortunately only one or two Orcs possessed bows and arrows, which were of a crude type but fearfully effective when accurate, while the rest of them making an awful noise clambered down the rocks to kill their prey.

The guards prepared themselves in military routine as Legolas cried back to the others in the Elvish tongue: "Take shelter! Protect Anié! Stay hidden until we call you!"

The others, who had seen the guard fall and could now see the Orcs descending, quickly followed their orders. A few helped Anié to safety and they hid in sheltering rocks where they could. Both Orc and Elf drew swords and soon the clash of metal rang in the air. Shrill screams echoed off the rocks as the Orcs charged forwards. It was a devastating sound that none wished to hear, yet unfortunately the final remnants of the Dark Lord's time had to be eliminated before those who remained could truly live in peace.

The outnumbered Elves moved quickly to slay their Enemy, but these Orcs were almost a new strain: attacking such a powerful foe such as Elves may seem foolish, but the Orcs' hatred of their past kind is not to be underestimated. These Orcs were no longer following the orders of another, they were fighting for themselves, they were fighting for survival as the rest of their species died out. If they killed these Elves, they would have fresh meat and their weapons.

Black blood stained the rocky earth, occasionally intermingled with deep red from their fallen guardsman. The Orcs bashed and clanged what weapons they had on the rocks to make an intimidating sound. That combined with their screaming was enough to deafen any assailant. The Elves fought with trained precision, but the Orcs would stop at nothing to wound their foe: swords, shields, rocks, their own claws and teeth… They would jitter and scatter, dodging around you until finally overwhelming you with a sudden strike, like a vicious ugly snake in the dark. Fortunately – and sadly - the Elves were used to this, and they knew that dispatching them swiftly was key.

Some of the Orcs waited on the top of the rocks with the bow-wielding Orcs, almost as though observing the violence as a sport, before the Elves dispatched of another and they took its place. The Orc archers - if they even merited such a title as 'archer', they were mostly poor shots - meant that the Elven guardsmen had weapons in front of them and from above. Legolas quickly recognised this. He looked around for some way to act.

Another Orc leapt down from above him with a holler and a brandished weapon, only for Legolas to greet it with shining metal and Elven fury – which of course ended in fatality for the Orc. As fast as he could, he lifted up the dead Orc now lying at his feet and used it as a shield whilst progressing closer to the rocks. The guards protected him as well as themselves, though incredibly Legolas seemed capable of carrying an Orc in one hand and striking them with the other.

As he approached the foot of one of the rocks upon which an archer stood, he sheathed his weapon and with both hands (and no small amount of strength) threw the dead Orc at the live ones above to distract and unbalance them. While they yelped and scattered to avoid their air-borne comrade, Legolas leapt up the rock face, conducted a beautifully swift attack to dispatch the archer, stole his bow and fired a crude yet useable arrow into the brain of the second archer. The guards cheered as Legolas jumped down elegantly and resumed fighting on the ground.

Meanwhile, of the waiting Orcs above, one crept along the high rocky ridge to attack the group from an unsuspecting direction. It jumped down from the ledge only a few feet in front of the huddled unarmed Elves. They held their breath, but as the Orc turned towards the fighters something caught its eye and turning, it spotted the group.

The Orc made a horrific squeal and leapt towards them. Helpless and terrified, all they could was to hurl themselves away from where the Orc landed and avoid its blade. Half of the group moved to the left, Anié and the others to the right. The Orc turned in her direction. Running was useless. All she and those around her could do was frantically clamber backwards as its sharp jagged blade swung left and right, hoping to hew a head or sever a limb.

The group now behind the rock reacted quickly and threw rocks and stones at the creature who howled and jeered but continued to progress forwards and petrify its victims. Anié cursed herself afterwards for not having the hear or steel to attack it in any way she could, but as it drew closer she found herself in her terror staring at its crooked face, its vile teeth, and its round yellow-green eyes…she had seen it before…

"_Its face was the last thing I saw – the glass shattered… it was like fire – dreadful liquid burning fire…"_

More rocks fell on the Orc from the other half of the group, but still it came nearer. As Anié froze, fixated in her moment of horror, without a thought or care for who it struck the Orc thrust forward its weapon. Many of the group leapt aside, some climbed nearby rocks, looking all around them for more Orcs to appear. Anié had no choice but to move abruptly: she thrust herself aside, but in avoiding the Orc's blade she fell off the rock she was sitting on and tumbled down into an abyss of rock.

Finally the fighting ended. Legolas struck the last remaining Orc in the head and it writhed on the floor before its miserable life was ended by a sharp stab to the chest. The guards quickly surveyed the surrounding area in case any more Orcs remained, which was a brave act since one of their fellows had just been killed from such an act. Finding nothing, they returned to their Prince for orders. They were to carry on as planned, but perhaps now with more caution.

There was little they could do for the fallen guard but it would be dishonourable to do nothing. It wouldn't be possible to carry him home or to bury him in the rock so they did the best they could. They laid him on top of a mound with his armour and weapons and covered him with rocks and stones to make a type of tomb. They would return for him one day with more men and a dignified way of taking him home. They stood for a moment to pay their respects. This had never meant to be a one-way mission.

Legolas felt a weight of responsibility on him. It seemed to him that his first act of purging his homeland and creating a haven of peace for his people had ended in the death of one of their own. He felt a failure, but his focus now had to be on the rest of the company, including Anié who needed to be home the most urgently.

They returned to reassemble the rest of their company. They found their companions, who timidly raised their heads from their hiding places as the warriors approached, and also the bloodied assailant on the ground, its vacant eyes wide open and bone protruding from its wrinkly scalp. Once assured all was safe, the scholars and councillors one by one dusted themselves done and stood with the guards. But one did not come out with them.

Legolas' eyes searched amongst them for Anié but could not see her, until one of the councillors gave a cry: "Your Highness! Over here! The Lady Anié is injured!"

Legolas' heart sank like a stone to his stomach, but as it turned out it was not a new injury but that sustained by Gornon. Unfortunately she had landed on a smaller rock that was not as flat or smooth as the others. It was not sharp or jagged, but the impact was enough to undo any healing that had begun. The wound had split open and, as the healer would have known, thrown her into shock.

Legolas ran over and crouched by her side. "Can you hear me?" he asked.

"Yes" she replied; she wanted to say that she was alright but her jolted voice and harsh breaths showed the pain she was in. Her face had turned pale again and her hands had started to quiver.

Staying focused despite his worry, he ordered his guards to scout ahead to find them somewhere to stay for the night. They would not leave the mountains for another day or two so they would still be amongst rocks and it would mean another delay, but the group knew that movement would be slow and anywhere they feel they could rest would be better than where they were now.

After some searching, two guards returned to lead the group to a shallow cave-like shelter made of several fallen but secure rocks. The others guards were already there and some were inside starting a fire. The company clambered in, relieved to feel in a place of relative safety. Legolas had carried Anié in his arms since she was unable to walk, so he laid her inside and stayed with her.

That night the scholars and councillors were silent but were grateful for each other's company, the guards took turns to watch for movement, and Legolas saw to Anié's wound. It had bled more from her fall and her inner bruising had grown worse. Her whole abdomen was tender and every movement was sensitive. He cleaned it as best he could (they had little water with them), redressed it and made her as comfortable as he could by the fire.

"Legolas?" she called faintly.

He looked up instantly, waiting on her every call. Anié smiled at his unconditional kindness.

"Rest" she insisted. "You've had a trying day".

Legolas placed his hand on hers. He would gladly stay awake and watch her every moment in case of need, for he knew as she did that her pain was great, but they also both knew that rest was important if they were to make it home. Legolas moved to sit by her side and leaning gently against each other, they let their minds wander until the sun rose the next morning.


	12. Chapter 12

Anié did not sleep that night. Nor did Legolas, they simply lay there, together.

The rest of that day was, as most of their days on this journey had been, uneventful. They simply left their shelter and carried on walking, though now one guard less and Anié limping slowly. There was nothing to note until that evening.

As the daylight faded into evening, the weather took a turn for the worse. However poor and unpleasant it had been, that night was the windiest, colourless, darkest and coldest they had seen for some time. The sky was a starless mass of grey and black, as the cloudy empire swarmed without break to disguise any light from moon or star. The walkers could barely see one foot in front of the other, but there was nowhere for them to take shelter. A fierce and bitter chill stung the air, so much so that a scholar's brooch froze to his cloak.

The group were deep into the mountains now. Within a day they should be free of them and back to the forest, but they had to keep moving. Besides, there was nowhere to stop, no matter how awful the conditions. Once the darkness of night had fully set in, rays of snow fell from the skies which when picked up by the wind turned into icy gusts blasting in the faces of the company. Many walked with their hands across their brows to keep the snow from their eyes and those with hoods found them useless against the howling gale.

They were all walking slowly now, fighting against the wind and trudging through the snow which was very soon over their ankles. Bravely they struggled on, battling forwards with the thought of home and the trees to drive them on. But it was a hard trial and many relied on others to help pull them through. No-one spoke or thought, their only action was movement; one step in front of the other, repeat the action, repeat the action.

They continued this for hours. No-one wanted to carry on, but neither could they bear to stop in the midst of this dreadful and ferocious blizzard. However they were all soon faced with a difficult decision when the inevitable happened.

Beridhren would have insisted that Anié should not have been moved from the Heath once she was injured, but it did not matter to Anié whether she walked or strode or crawled, somehow she would keep walking. She did not say a word but the pain had barely diminished since yesterday, every step felt like a pounding. The world swirled around her as the sheets of snow dazzled her blurred vision and weakening limbs. Clutching Legolas' hand she had pressed on, but she had gone as far as she could go. She collapsed face-first to the cold white ground, a drop of saliva falling from her mouth tingeing the snowy earth slightly red.

Legolas felt her hand slip from his own. He knelt beside her and rolled her onto her back, battling against the wind to stay upright. She was very pale, frighteningly so when Legolas remembered it in hindsight, but his initial terror of her sudden collapse was dispelled by the knowledge that she was still breathing and her eyelids flickered. Desperate to continue if she could, she tried to push herself onto all fours with her hands and feet, but her joints buckled and failed her and she began to slide on the slippery snow until Legolas held her steady.

Anié's head fell back against the rock beneath her as she panted lungfuls of air – she felt surprisingly short of breath in such a raging wind, the pain and growing darkness were taking their toll. Legolas kept her still on the ground – any further movement could disturb her injury – and placed his forehead against her own. He spoke telepathic words of comfort to her mind and he fought to stay calm so that she too could be strong.

It was not long before the others realised what had happened and strode through the gale to offer what assistance they could. Here they came to their hard choice:

"Stay together and go on" Legolas ordered the group. He too spoke to their minds – it would be impossible to be heard over the noise of the wind.

"I will stay with Anié and bring her home when I can. Do not wait for us".

Anié could no longer continue and Legolas would not leave her; none of them wished to stay in this snow storm any longer than they had to, but to do as they were commanded may be leaving the pair for dead. To go could be treason or guilt at least, to stay could be suicide. They looked to each other uncertainly, each waiting for another to make a decision. Legolas implored with them that this was his decision and that he wanted them to go on without him, he and Anié would be slow and he wanted them to arrive home safely and spread the news. The guards spoke together and chose their action.

None wished to, but under their commands they turned away from the Prince and walked off into the blizzard towards the forest. They could not see the trees in this weather but they knew their bearings and they needed only to continue straight and descend from the rocky hills to arrive at the borders of the homeland again. Many looked behind them to see a final glance of their leader, a bent shape clutching a limp shape tightly, defending her against the snowfall, while two dark columns stood at either side. While the rest of the guards stayed with the larger group, two stayed with the Prince and his partner, to defend and to aid in any way they could as was their oath upon becoming Royal Guardsmen.

Night was falling and any light had almost entirely vanished. For hours the smaller company walked blind through the treacherous terrain, while the storm showed no sign of diminishing. Legolas was determined to bring Anié home where she could be treated, and more importantly so she would not succumb to her wound, and so he carried her all the way. He spoke to her constantly, keeping her focus on reality and checking for a response, while the guards aided him through the wind and uneven ground.

The larger group had disappeared from sight ahead of them – Legolas hoped he had done the right thing by sending them on. It was impossible for the three to go anywhere at speed, or indeed make progress at all against the sheer force of the snow and wind. Nature fought against them with every step. The howling deafened them.

At last, even Legolas began to despair. The rocks seemed endless and the night felt like it would never end and they would never see light again. He knew this was not true but he was afraid for Anié. It had become clear that Anié was slipping in and out of consciousness and he feared that without help soon, she may fall into a deeper sleep. His arms ached and his body tired but he pushed on. He couldn't stop now.

Suddenly he placed his foot on a rock whose smooth surface now covered in ice and snow bore no grip and even the delicate balance of the Elves could not stop him losing his footings. His right leg lurched forward and he planted his right foot down as firmly as he could whilst bending and crashing down on his left knee to avoid dropping Anié. Cursing foully, he was helped up by the guards. Once again Anié gave no response – she had gone again.

As Legolas reaffirmed his grip around Anié's body and lifted her up once more to continue onwards, one of the guards gave a cry and pointed some way ahead of them:

"Look, my Prince! A light! There is a light ahead!"

He was right. Far off in the distance but easily within the sight of the Elves was a faint and flickering amber-red light, blinking in the wind. To add to their hopes, the light seemed a little beneath them, which suggested that whatever the light came from was at the bottom of the mountain and so perhaps they were coming to the end of the hills.

Legolas held Anié close to him – her skin was cold and her heart beat perilously slow. He could barely hear her breath against the noise of the gale. She was fading fast and he was terrified that he would lose her. He urged the guards to move towards the light – whatever it was and whoever may meet them, anything would be better than where they were now. Provided it was not Orcs… Legolas prayed to the Valar that they would grant him _some_ luck and he begged Anié once more to hold on just a little longer.


	13. Chapter 13

Anié awoke the following morning. She lay in a single bed with layers of blankets and pillows under her head. She felt her toes free from her boots, which were placed by the fire alongside other items of wet clothing. Cool water dripped to the floor from the articles' hems.

Her eyes opened slowly. Her gut feeling, so to speak, was that her body still felt tired and sluggish but for now she was not in any pain. Bewildered at the unfamiliar scene, her vision gradually focused and she looked around. The room in which she found herself was a wood red-brown colour, as indeed the surrounding walls and floor were made of wood and the drapes and blankets were either white or autumn colours. A fire was burning, the crackling wood warming the room. Two guardsmen stood by the front door. The wind was gone and the raging snow storm and the tense and trying night they had endured seemed a far distant memory.

Anié was intrigued to know where she was and how she had come there. She began to push herself up on her hands. She felt sore and bruised, like her body weighed twice its true amount. Her pained muscles and exhausted body reacted to her actions in an uncomfortable fashion.

As she attempted to raise herself, a hand placed itself on her shoulder.

"Rest" said a voice.

Anié's head turned sharply. The voice and hand belonged to Legolas, whom she had not noticed was sitting next to her. The flames from the fireplace reflected in his eyes - a vision of tender light rather than the flames of wrath. He was smiling.

"Legolas?" she asked puzzlingly. "Where are we? How did we come here?"

A thought occurred to her and her face sobered. "Is this a dream? Am I dead?"

Legolas chuckled. "Far from it. You are very much alive, though I must insist that you rest. You are still gravely injured".

"But what about the others?" she continued. "On the mountain, the snow…the storm….." She trailed off a little as her head began to swim.

"I promise I will explain everything but you must lie down first" Legolas insisted, applying a little more pressure to her shoulder.

Anié nodded her head, totally baffled. It felt so much like a dream, the confusion after rising from a deep stupor, no longer knowing what is real and what was imagined.

Legolas helped her lie down and she settled as comfortably as she could into the pillows.

"How is the pain?" asked Legolas, his smile now tinged with concern.

"Not too bad, I think…" she replied. Her trunk had started to ache and her head felt a little dizzy but it was nothing overwhelming. However she did feel better for lying down.

"What about you? What happened? Where are we?"

Content that Anié was now awake and in a resting position, Legolas was happy to proceed:

"After you collapsed in the storm, I told the rest of the group to go on. I feared we may not be able to move you – certainly not at any speed – and so it was pointless holding everybody back. Two guards stayed with me (he nodded towards them by the door at this point) and somehow we hoped to take you to a place of safety. Though it did not seem so at the time, I feel in my heart that the snow storm was a blessing in disguise, otherwise the mountains would have been clear and we may have encountered more feral Orcs".

"By fortune we saw a light in the distance and in our desperation we headed towards it".

"What was it?" asked Anié curiously.

"The place you now find yourself in" Legolas replied. "This house has stood at the feet of the Grey Mountains for countless years and no-one has seen its inhabitant if anyone does indeed live here, and yet it has proved to be a sanctuary in our hour of need. If ever I meet its owner, I shall thank them kindly".

"This is the house you told me about on the journey to the Heath?" wondered Anié.

"The very same. We arrived here last night before the sun rose and here we have stayed. It is now five days since we left the Heath. We spent the night doing what we could to help you".

"Help me?" queried Anié.

"You were exhausted and despite your brave efforts your injury had greatly weakened you. I was frightened when I could not rouse you. You had lost much blood and…I feared I may lose you".

"I remember now…" said Anié thoughtfully, "I could neither see nor think nor hear, I simply carried on. I would follow you anywhere. But the pain was too strong and darkness took me…it felt like I had simply fallen asleep, and then I woke up here".

"You slept for many hours, and though I think it has done you good I was worried. I am no healer, I did not know what I could do to save you".

"Then, how did you save me?" she asked.

"If I was so weak, how did you bring me back?"

"I did not" Legolas replied. He extended his hand towards a nearby table and held up a golden pendant.

"This did".

Anié recognized it at once. The chain that Legolas had given her as a gift glinted gently in the flickering light, but the once-full vial which hung from it was now empty.

"The healing medicine!" realised Anié.

Legolas nodded. "_You have gifts you do not know you have_. They were the Valar's parting words to me. I feel a fool not to have remembered earlier. It could have spared you much pain".

Anié shook her head. "You saved me. You gave me back my sight and you saved me. Thank you".

The pair smiled. Legolas caressed Anié's face with the palm of his hand. Deep inside he could not express his relief that Anié was awake and alive, nor the dreadful soul-consuming fear that had almost driven him to madness and despair as he had held his beloved in his arms on that snowy mountain. Now he was cautious but joyful – he felt blessed.

"You must rest here today, if the weather is good we may set out tomorrow for the palace. The vial's medicine will not heal your wound but with today's rest it should give you enough strength to arrive home safely where Beridhren can care for you. But we can stay here as long as we need to, until you are ready".

"That is fine" said Anié, "but you have not answered my first question".

Legolas looked at her, puzzled. Anié returned his gaze and asked sincerely:

"How are _you_?"

A warmth swelled in Legolas' heart. "Always you have the kindness to think of others before yourself".

Anié took a hold of Legolas' hand. She did not need to hear compliments, she was concerned for her love.

"I am well, I assure you" he replied.

Legolas sent the guards that had remained with him to search ahead and find some horses, if they could, and to return by nightfall – riding would be easier for Anié than walking. If anyone lived in that house they never appeared, yet it was well stocked enough to provide Anié with blankets and for Legolas to make some soup.

He and Anié stayed in the house the entire day. As romantic as it sounded, it was nothing of the kind. It is essentially a make-shift hospital: Anié did not once rise from her bed and showed no desire to, which concerned Legolas greatly. This was the woman who was previously willing to walk through the winding, complex tunnels of the Mirkwood palace without sight, and now she would not even stand from a bed. She was still worryingly pale and though she smiled, she ate little and rarely spoke.

Legolas kept her comfortable, encouraged her to eat as much as she would and changed her bandage. He undid her tunic to bare her trunk. Moving her shirt out of the way, his fingers chanced to brush against her flesh, her pure naked skin. His hands smoothed across her stomach and sides as he unravelled her bandage. He realised that he had missed the feel of her body, her touch against his. He could not help but let out a sigh. He looked up to her once and noticed that she was looking at him. She held his eyes just for a moment, and then she lowered them again, a smile ghosting her face.

A nearby stream provided cool mountain water and he found some clean material in the house to use for the wound. It desperately needed stitches, though Legolas had neither the materials nor the skill. The lips of the gash gaped open when the older, bloodied bandage was removed, as though the injury was new and fresh. Though her body was pale the area around the wound was a deep red and purple and very tender to touch. Legolas was concerned that even without the qualities of a healer he could see the wound was not healing as it should. With great caution he cleansed it with the water and tightly rebound it. It was far from comfortable for Anié but she was grateful for his help. She had done nothing all day yet she felt drained of all energy.

The guards returned later that afternoon. They had reached the eaves of the forest but had found nothing, the land was deserted. The storm seemed to have passed and the sky was clear as night fell. The weather should be perfect for them to finish the final leg of their journey home. Though they still had at least a couple of day's walking ahead of them, Legolas encouraged in himself his own optimism.

That night the guards took turns standing watch, respectfully remaining outside of the house whilst Legolas and Anié prepared for their final night of rest, their last night before Legolas would be crowned King.

Anié was lying in bed as Legolas sat himself on a chair beside her. His honourable intention was to remain awake in case Anié had any need overnight. Anié respected the gesture, but looked up into his eyes.

"Legolas?" she asked softly, one of the rare occasions she had spoken all day. Legolas looked down to her inquisitively.

She placed her hand on a space on her pillow:

"Lie with me tonight".

After removing his boots, Legolas lay by her side and as gently as he could, he held her tightly until the morning.


	14. Chapter 14

It was three days later. Anié awoke, once again, somewhere she did not initially recognise. She remembered where she had been last but she was not in the bed of the mountain house, nor was she lying under the eaves of the forest. She was in fact safe in the healing house of the palace of Mirkwood. She also awoke with a certain feeling of discomfort – her stomach felt tight and numb. Her head felt fuzzy to add to her confusion.

A figure approached from the other side of the room and said with a familiar voice: "Welcome home, Miss Celebrindal".

Anié blinked, then joyfully let her jaw drop:

"Beridhren! It feels like an age since I last saw you!"

She then realised what she had just said. "Beridhren, it's a miracle! I can see again!

The Valar…"

She began to explain, but the healer raised a hand to stop her:

"Legolas has already told me your tale, or much of it at least. I am glad that you have your sight back, though you were paler upon your return than when you left".

"Where is he?" she asked.

"Busy" the healer replied. "He has a lot of explaining to do to the people".

Her heart went out to her love who was now facing one of the biggest challenges of his life, alone. "I should be there with him. I must go and support him".

"You are not to move from this bed for at least another day or two" Beridhren replied without a moment's hesitation before adding:

"On the Prince's orders no less, as well as my own advice. You have put your body through enough, it will not recover unless you allow it to rest".

Anié could think of a hundred arguments as to why she should be with Legolas rather than lying in bed, but for the moment she had too many questions to ask. There was a large gap in her memory and she needed to fill the gaps.

"In that case" she asked, "could you answer some questions for me?"

The healer chuckled.

"I can certainly try! Though I can only tell you what Legolas told me".

"First of all, how did I get here?"

"What do you remember?" the healer enquired.

Anié thought deeply. "Walking…we left the house in the morning and we walked all of the day and the night. We left the mountains behind us and entered the forest. I remember the start of the second day, but not much more than that…"

"_We should keep going, if we can. We have been delayed enough, if we walk through the night we can make up for lost time"._

"_We are in no hurry, Anié. Have you the strength to keep going without a rest?"_

"_I am strong enough. Besides, the wound feels a little better after your care. I will follow your lead, you know the route better than I"._

"_Very well. Take my hand, we will walk together…"_

"That is as Legolas told me" Beridhren interjected as she reminisced, "though he was more descriptive about the second day of travelling".

"I could not walk as fast" Anié remembered, "after a day of good fortune I suddenly starting feeling worse".

"Legolas had done well with your wound but he could not cure the problem" Beridhren explained. "You were bleeding deep inside of you".

"You turned a frightening pale as you had before – Legolas described you as 'ghostlike' – and your body lost its energy. You could barely stand let alone walk".

"It came on so suddenly…" recalled Anié. "It was like something was sucking the life out of me…"

"_It's like…I'm stumbling on my own feet" said Anié as she found herself on all fours on the grass again._

"_Are you alright?"_

"_I am…fine…" Anié attempted to stand but toppled sideways into Legolas' arms._

"_What's happening to me?"_

"_Take a moment to rest, Anié"._

"_The world is spinning…"_

"_Breathe deeply"._

"_You'll never reach home if you stay in my company. Go on ahead. Perhaps I will follow on, or…something…"_

"_No! I will not leave you on your own. We are so close now - if we can keep moving we can have you in Beridhren's care within a day. Do not give up on me now"._

_She felt a sudden urge to spit. Her teeth were stained with a dark crimson and it tasted foul._

_Figures appeared from nowhere in the distance as they sat still on the forest floor. As they approached Legolas helped Anié to her feet, but she never saw their faces…_

"There my vision faded" finished Anié as she told what she could of her story.

"Who were they?"

"Some of the councillors who had accompanied you on your journey and had returned ahead of you took some horses and rode out to find you. After much searching they found you in the forest at the moment you lost consciousness. It was just a well, for Legolas needed to take you to me with urgent haste".

"They finished the journey on horseback and brought you to me last night. Your wound has been cleansed and deeply stitched which will hopefully stop the bleeding, but it will take time for you to regain your full strength".

Anié nodded, understanding; as much as she'd like not to be a 'burden' or to carry on so as not to inconvenience anyone, she realised now that she would need to stop for a while – in a sense, acknowledge her own frailty – in order to help others, for without her own strength she could do nothing.

"How much have you heard about the journey?" was Anié's next question.

"Only parts of it: I heard that the group was success in having an audience with the Valar, and of course I know about your sight, but I intend to hear Legolas tell us in full. He will be addressing the people very shortly".

"And what of the other members of the company? Did they return unhurt?"

"Some bore cuts and bruises but there were certainly no major injuries, besides yourself" Beridhren replied. "Otherwise, they returned home safe and well".

Anié was satisfied, though her love and leader never left her thoughts. She prayed in her heart that he would speak well before the people and that they would be kind to him and his decision.

Anié accepted her orders and rested in bed under the care of the other healers whilst Beridhren left to hear Legolas in the Great Hall. He was gone for some time, though Anié supposed the tale was not a short one and they would be many questions to answer. When Beridhren finally returned, Anié eagerly plied him for information – not on the tale itself, which she knew, but about the one who told it:

"He spoke very well indeed. It was a hard tale to tell – I did not realise how much you all had suffered: the loss of the guardsman, the Orc attack, weathering the storm, the departure of Gornon…"

"He mentioned that?" asked Anié tentatively.

"He did, though he told it without vehemence" Beridhren replied.

"He spoke humbly but was inspiring" he continued. "In my heart I never truly believed you could bring Thranduil back - I do not think such a bright and majestic flame could ever be tamed or reborn, he chose his own path. Indeed, I see Legolas as both continuing his father's great legacy and beginning anew. Thranduil took the crown to lead the people, whereas Legolas will share his power so that in this new age the people may choose and take their own path, as his father did his own. He is strong yet he does not seek to rule, rather to guide and to love. Yes, he will be a fine leader of this realm while it still stands".

Later that afternoon the news came through – the people had officially agreed that Legolas should be the next King of Greenwood. There was never any doubt of this, but with the people's backing Legolas accepted and the preparations for his coronation ceremony began.

As the dark sky was pierced with moonlight, Anié rested well but she did not sleep more than a few hours. She realised what was troubling her thoughts. Cautiously and being sure not to push herself, she rose from the bed and walked along the palace corridors to their bedroom. Everywhere was silent as she pushed open the door as lightly as she dared. She almost laughed at what she saw, but in a sense of relief and contentment rather than mockery: lying on the bed fully clothed was Legolas, flat on his back and arms folded across his chest, fast asleep.

Anié shut the door behind her as though it were made of glass and crept silently across the room to where the new King lay. She wanted to take his boots off and make him comfortable, but she knew she could not do so without waking him. He looked so peaceful, she had only seen him worry the past few days. She stood by his side for a moment, looking into his faultless face and watching the rise and fall of his muscled chest before leaning forward, placing one hand on the side of his head of golden hair, and placing a tender kiss on his forehead.

"You should be resting…" he said quietly, his lips unmoving.

"I know" replied Anié sincerely, "but I thought I might be more comfortable here".

"As would I. I have been separated from you all day, and I will need all of you beside me in the years to come".

Anié understood. He meant not only herself and her body, but also each and every one of his people, to work together for peace and to live in harmony as one until each decided their time was ended. He felt the burden of responsibility creeping up on him, yet he was not afraid; he provided strength and protection and each would give me love and support in return.

Beyond the palace the trees stood still. They remembered all the time they had stood there, since their growth as seedlings through the punishment of age and war. Seasons came and went in a constant routine but still they stood. The forest was silent save for the faint twittering of birds in the branches. They flew back and forth from the ancient trees, collecting twigs and fallen leaves to build their nests with. New life within eternal strength was for the people of that country a sign of hope.


End file.
